Christian parenting and the challenges...Restoring the Family Altar

The toughest part of parenting is teaching the Christian faith. This is the hardest because most poeple think that churchinizing your child is all it takes (taking them to church, maybe Sunday School, and definately confirmation).

However, very few individuals who grew up in this kind of lacklusterness in faith have moved to a serious life of following Christ. People become thankful for the "church", but talk very little about faith in the daily walk. I must admit that I have fallen into this category, in the sense of faith only be at church and life basically dealing only with worldly view.

Yet, there is a way to combat this mentality, "The Family Altar." Each family should make a point of establishing a place that is specifically for a time of prayer, Bible stories, and singing. This is an example why there is much power in owning a hymnal and following the reading schedule and prayers. The hardest part of this is getting it started since most of us never grew up with it.

A good time is right after eating. But it also might be right before bed. One person I know have specific people they pray for each night and Sunday night is to pray for each person in their family and extended family. And the tough part is that it can change from one day to the next. Yet, if we are serious about our loving God, serious about the devil working against us at every step, and desire our children to see us witness our faith, something like this needs to be done.

I already hear the argument, "I don't want to give my children too much religion." Interseting statement. I have yet to hear a parent say that they don't want their kids to have too much baseball, football, basketball, choir, camping, or traveling, but yet faith is seen to the thing that we can get too much of. I diagnose this problem with children seeing a hypocrite when they see one. If a parent forces a child to go to church all the time, but yet NEVER discusses faith and how it affects their decicion making, work, family time, politics, and how one spends his money, then YES you can get too much because there is no point. But when Christ becomes part of everything and you have a place to worship at home also, those arguments are significantly less.

Let's join together to make Christ a MAJOR part of our daily life and not just Sunday.