Numerous conversations center around the Body of Christ losing their children to the world. Some researchers have cited the Church of Christ as one of the most significant and fastest-growing religious groups during the 1950s – 1970s. Additionally, historians mark a sharp decline in this same group immediately following this period. One recent study by Dr. Flavil Yeakley (2008) stated that over 61% of the children reared in religious congregations would willingly step away from their faith upon leaving childhood homes. This is a troublesome revelation and one filled with dread. Most would assume that if our children had fundamentally obeyed the Gospel, they would remain faithful into adulthood and foster the next generation on the pathway toward heaven. Nevertheless, this has not been the case.
Therefore, it has caused many families and parents to have sleepless nights and worry regarding their children’s souls. Can anything be accomplished to undo this present distress? The answer is yes…it is always yes with the Lord if we are willing to turn to Him and hand over control (2 Chronicles 7:14). Scripture is clear humanity can lose sight of God within a modest timeframe (Judges 2:10). Therefore, as caretakers of our children, we must condition them to love God and offer a more profound, more affectionate love to Him versus one for this world (1 John 2:15-17). Manoa asked the Lord to revisit him and his wife so He could “teach us what we shall do for the child who will be born” (Judges 13:8).
As modern parents, we can still mimic Manoa’s prayers and actions. What we can do is take God’s promises seriously (Ephesians 6:1-4). Most of all, we can sacrifice, instruct, and encourage our children to take the hard path that leads to life (Esther 4:13-14). We all have a choice in which statistic we reside. Prayerfully, we all decide to be a part of the smaller faction (Matthew 7:13-14).
In Christ,
Archie R. Green
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