This is one of my newsletter articles for my church this past year. I was really just ranting about what truly is important. To say the least, I got a lot of reaction to this particular one….

I started to attend Center Church about 13 years ago, and one of the first things I remember about the church might catch you by surprise. Of all the things, I remember the bulletin, and more importantly what was on the front. It’s something that has stayed with me all this time. It simply stated: “Continuing that we might become like Jesus. Romans 8:29” I’ve recently come across that verse again but in a different context. In The Message translation it reads like this:

29-30God knew what he was doing from the very beginning. He decided from the outset to shape the lives of those who love him along the same lines as the life of his Son. The Son stands first in the line of humanity he restored. We see the original and intended shape of our lives there in him. After God made that decision of what his children should be like, he followed it up by calling people by name. After he called them by name, he set them on a solid basis with himself. And then, after getting them established, he stayed with them to the end, gloriously completing what he had begun.

I like that verse. “We see the original and intended shape of our lives there in Him.” This verse tells us to be like Jesus. That was God’s goal for us, to model our lives after Jesus.

What I’m about to say might be a little controversial but I do feel very strongly about it. When I think about children, teens, and young adults I see them through the lens of this verse. Do we want children to “behave,” to be “mature,” or do we want them to be like Jesus?

I’m not saying that I think there should be no control, but what I’m saying is, “what are we focusing on?” Our goal should be that our children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, cousins, young friends, etc become like Jesus, not be small adults. We worry about their behavior, but do we worry about their Spiritual Behavior?

As I begin to think about this coming year, I’m going to be asking myself that question a lot when it comes to the kids in our youth ministry and my own children. I’m going to focus on their most important behavior, their relationship with Christ. Will you join me?