Friday, April 08, 2011

Aliens Have Landed


Our Christian children are aliens. If they don’t know it, or if we only teach them techniques to be successful in this life (as though that were Christian), we’ve set them up for frustration. When I see a trained monkey wearing children’s clothing and playing with children’s toys, I think it’s cute but I’m not confused. It’s not natural. I don’t leap and exclaim, “Wow! The monkey has become a kid! What shall we name him?” In the same way, as I train my children to function in this world, the fact that they are not of this world must always remain clear, to them and to me. They’re from another. If they don’t know it, their deluded attempt to fit with this world will make monkeys out of them.

Our Christian children are lights in this world, holy and blameless sons and daughters of God in whom lives the Holy Spirit Himself. They’re not on a long and winding path to their destination—they’ve arrived already.

Do you see them? Not if you’re looking at them only with the eyes in your head and not the eyes in your heart.

Paul prayed, "I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe" (Ephesians 1:17-19).

The “glorious inheritance” in our children right now is more fantastic than anything else in this world. Just because it isn’t easy to see is no reason to turn away and quit looking!

(Excerpted from the 12th chapter of my book: Aliens Have Landed: The Proper Care and Feeding of the Everyday Foreigners in Your Family. The chapter is about raising children with the grace and truth of God in full view. Click the following link for more information: http://lifecourse.org/Ralphs_Book.html)

6 comments:

  1. Debra Baker7:09 PM

    I love this line:
    Our Christian children are lights in this world, holy and blameless sons and daughters of God in whom lives the Holy Spirit Himself. They’re not on a long and winding path to their destination—they’ve arrived already.
    Thanks for tagging me. This is a good point! I love it!

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  2. Nancy Gilmore10:31 PM

    Just GREAT! ♥ I see mine as forms of Christ, TOO

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  3. Marmee Janet10:17 AM

    I love this, Ralph! Just had a conversation with my 2 boys who are 11 & 12 about who they are in the real world they cannot see vs. how they are measured in this temporary world of the seen. It is so good to see clearly and to be able to speak clearly to them. I love the good news!

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  4. Matt Gill10:23 AM

    Chapter 12, I have arrived!

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  5. Stephanie Park Mendrala10:23 AM

    A timely reminder. Thank you.

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  6. Mike Daniel11:41 AM

    Good stuff, Ralph. Thanks for the tag! I'll be sharing with kids' parents and pastors!

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