POINTING CHILDREN TO CHRIST

The following is a true story from days gone by. However, it is still very relevant to our day. Hopefully, it is as thought provoking to you as it was for me. Poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge was talking to a lady who defended the idea that children should not have religious instruction; they must be left to grow “naturally,” so they would be more mature; make rational decisions, for they would know better what they are doing. This philosophy seems plausible, but certain things might seem plausible and yet constitute a misconception.
Coleridge listened as that woman was talking, and did not say much. Then he invited her to walk around the garden. He guided her to a place in the garden where weeds grow. What do you think of my garden?" he asked the poet. "Isn't it beautiful?"
“A garden? Do you call this a garden? I would say it is a place to grow weeds: she replied.
“Well”, explained Coleridge, "A few months ago I decided to let them grow the way they wanted, until they reach maturity." Suddenly his visitor understood the point.
I had relatives who supported this laissez-faire philosophy of parenting. It was no surprise when their children did not adopt any religion when they became adults. The parents seemed to have forgotten that they once defended and practiced this philosophy. Today they regret the fact that their children joke about religion and do not have a moral conscientiousness. They rebel against all authority.
Teaching Christian principles to our children does not guarantee that they will adopt them. After all, human beings were created with the power to choose and some, unfortunately, make the wrong choice (see Josh. 24:15 and Rom. 14:12). But a convenient education increases the possibilities. If, despite Christian guidance at home, children still choose the wrong path, at least parents would still know they did the best they could.