Fashioning our lives upon wisdom

13. February 2010 by BruceSmith.

Fashioning Our Lives Upon Wisdom

Famed  British Fashion Designer Alexander McQueen, dead, an apparent suicide

The headline above, just released in the last couple of days, is yet another headline which speaks to the chasm which exists in the hearts of affluent, pleasure crazed, and otherwise worldly glamour lifestyle seeking celebs.  What is so deeply disturbing, however, is that so many of us look longingly toward these people who wind up in train wreck after train wreck.  Of course, it is not only those well known fashion designers, actors, and athletes who endure such crashes.  It happens every day on Main Street America as well.  Somehow, we continue to be duped into thinking that the “fabulous” life awaiting us consists of no restraint, all out fun, unrestricted pleasure, unfettered creativity, and the abandonment of moral certainty.  This thinking seeps into every home in our culture through various media outlets, and if not filtered and viewed through the lens of scripture, will destroy the fabric of any home.  We have an unprecedented challenge upon us in this media and experience age, and if we are to have any hope in building a future for our families and culture, we must have an intentional strategy in place.  

Statistics point to the importance of running after wisdom as early in life as possible.  Studies demonstrate that most people who come to faith do so by the age of eighteen.  The scriptures instruct us to “train up a child in the way he should go”.  The admonition is to teach wisdom early on in order that a child might embrace a life of faith and not depart from it.  While our passion to teach our kids as much as we can about living a life of devotion to God does not guarantee they will not go the way of the prodigal, as parents we are called by God to give our best effort to instill values that will last a lifetime.  Some of the critical values we should aim to teach our kids follow here.  

Before we look specifically at those core values we want to have our kids embrace, we must look at the foundation for all deep rooted Christian character—our understanding of calling.  Ultimately, our aim is to provide an environment in which our kids can grow into an understanding of the calling God has for them.  This is the foundation upon which the entire edifice of Christian character is built.  If we are to motivate our kids to avoid all the allure of sin around them, they must be convinced of the “ultimate why”. 

This, of course, begins with our own lifestyles.  Do they see the pursuit of a godly calling in us?  Do our lives, over the years, reflect a heart in love with God and His purposes?  Is our advice to them filled with a compassionate, intelligent, and coherent call to understand the “Why?” of life in relation to who God is calling them to be?  Or are we just calling them to some vague and gushy idea of “living a good life” and being “good people”.   We must be reminded that a good life is defined by God, and God alone.  Anything less is merely a human opinion or preference, which means nothing ultimately. Scripturally, none of us, have any true goodness apart from living in relationship with Him, and being remade by Him.    It is, therefore, not enough to lead our kids to the idea that goodness is culturally determined or up for grabs.  Neither should we allow the distortion to enter which suggests that goodness is measured by our standard of living compared to the activities and actions of others.  Its not about others.  Its about God’s standard and call to life, life to the full.  His way is the only way there.

Rick Warren, author of the all-time best selling book, The Purpose Driven Life, has challenged millions of readers to base their lives upon a “why”, a purpose.  The earlier kids understand the purpose for which they were created, the earlier they commit themselves to character development.  Os Guinness, a brilliant author, in his book, Rising To The Call, writes the following:

How do we each find and fulfill the central purpose of our lives?  No theme I know strikes a deeper resonance with more people today than discovering life’s purpose.  It’s a question, of course, but it’s more—far, far more.  It’s a question that’s a passion, a longing, a hunger, a restless stirring in our souls, a driving motivation that fires the deepest parts of our lives and taps into the most powerful sources of our energy.

This passion, this deep hunger for our purpose, is fulfilled only by an understanding that we are created for something—and someone.  To know early on that we are the apple of God’s eye and that He has specific intentions for us, can and does utterly reorient our life.  I know this personally.  This knowledge of God calling us to Himself, and calling us to accomplish certain tasks, is what builds the corresponding drive for character and is what gives us strength for any battle which may lie ahead.  The lack of such compelling belief is what has lead to an American culture so replete with unfathomable pain amidst such wealth.  If you doubt this reality just read the recent Newsweek special on the rising Crystal Meth epidemic in our country.  Guinness points to the problem when he writes, “…the trouble is that, as modern people, we have too much to live with and too little to live for.”

And so, we must teach our youth to understand early just what it is, and who it is, that gives them a reason for living.  We must teach our kids that the chief end of their lives is to know God and to enjoy Him forever.

Once convinced of their calling, our kids will run after character.  When they see a passionate sense of calling lived out daily in our lives they will understand and move toward the core values we champion in our homes.  What are some of those values and why are they important?  I thought you would never ask!  Here are a few core values we ought to be trumpeting in our homes.

1. Courage—our kids must understand and embrace the pursuit of courage.  Like us, they will face many daunting challenges as they grow.  Big battles will come and the odds can often seem overwhelming.  The courage to look difficulty in the eye and press on is an indispensable trait.  Nothing good is accomplished without courage for the fight.  We must determine to lead our kids toward courage which emboldens them to press back against the force of peer pressure and cultural mood.  They need the courage to think maturely and biblically when all around them attempts to sell them on the call of the moment and feeling.
2. The Will to Fight—some things are worth fighting for.  Some battles are pivotal.  There are moments in life where we must summon up the resolve to fight for a Godly agenda.  It may be a fight for fidelity in marriage, a fight for honesty, a fight for friendship, a fight for truth, a fight for financial survival, and more.  These fights will come to all of our kids, and the earlier our kids learn to fight the better off they will be.  If they fight the integrity battles early on they will save themselves a world of heartache.  Our kids must see our fight for holiness, even when we fail, against the backdrop of God’s grace.  The fight for a pure and fully devoted life must be clearly seen in us and instilled in our kids.
3. Leadership—we must teach, and indeed call our kids, early on, to be the compass for those around them.  Our kids must learn to develop the focus to point the way for others.  We must encourage them to be the ones to set the example for others.  They ought to be the ones that other kids look to and say, “that’s what I want my life to look like”.  Free advice, leaders are readers—encourage, and yes, make, your kids read widely.  Teach your kids to filter what they see in magazines, secular education, and other “learning” outlets.  They must be prepared and able to engage the institutional bias in the university setting which is counter-biblical if not rabidly anti-biblical.  
4. Character—as our kids allow God to build character in them they bless those around them.  While they bless their parents when they exhibit Godly character, and this is great, they also bless their peers in that the example of purity, honesty, compassion, and integrity encourages others to pursue the same path.  Let the others get the accolades for “best dressed”, “best looking”, “prom queen”, and the like.  I want my kids to be the ones to whom others turn when life gets confusing.  Teach your kids to pursue the eternal crown of glory.  Call them to set the bar for others.  Character, we must explain to them, is the ability to consistently do the “good” thing even when it’s not “popular”.  The madness of the pleasure quest seeks to eat them up every day.  Encourage them to consider the importance of influence, friend networks, setting, and temptation.  The scriptures are clear, “Bad company corrupts good character.”  

While this is, of course, not an extensive list of traits we want our kids to embrace, it is a starting point.  If our kids, and we as adults for that matter, can master these core values, they, and we, will certainly be able to taste and see that the Lord is Good.  Living life abundantly, that’s the goal we are called to set for our youth.  We have got to point them to the Pearl of Great Price early on.  Teach wisdom early, live it now.  The dividends will be enormous.

Bruce Smith

optimuslife.org

soulstormsite.com

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