Tuesday, October 14, 2014
Out of the mouth of babes...
Andrew Joel Ridgell is my 6 (almost 7) year old grandson. He is in first grade and we got to hang out last weekend. So we get to talking and have the following conversation.
Andrew: Pops, we do not want to hold to fire in our hand.
Pops: That's right, Andrew. That would burn us and that would not be good.
Andrew: But Pops, if God said to hold fire in my hand I would.
Pops (trying not to choke up): Me too Andrew.
It was special and sweet because he absolutely meant it with all of his heart. You have had those same kinds of conversations with your kids and grands also. But I have to tell you, that conversation scared me a little.
Part of me is scared because I know what radical faith demands. What danger, persecution, and pain await him with that kind of obedience? But God will see him thru whatever comes. Just like he does the rest of his family.
Maybe I'm afraid of how unpopular that kind of faith would be in our culture. And maybe afraid because I know how unpopular it would be among most churches.
But here is what scares me the most. I am afraid there will be Christians who will discourage that kind of faith. People that would try to explain why God can't mean it if he asked that kind of obedience. Maybe well meaning, but those who would explain why radical obedience like that was something for Bible times, not today times. People who will always stay in the boat instead of walk on the water.
I pray Andrew will always keep that kind of radical faith and obedience. Because someday God will call him to hold fire in his hand. To do something that he would not ordinarily do. To do something that requires incredible courage and faith. And I pray he will.
Me too.
So thanks to his parents who are raising him to be a radical believer. Thanks to Bible class teachers who are molding him into a real Jesus follower. Thanks for the radical spiritual heroes he sees in the Bible and around him today.
And thanks to Andrew for reminding me that I don't need to hold fire in my hand.
Unless God tells me to.
Out of the mouth of babes...
Andrew: Pops, we do not want to hold to fire in our hand.
Pops: That's right, Andrew. That would burn us and that would not be good.
Andrew: But Pops, if God said to hold fire in my hand I would.
Pops (trying not to choke up): Me too Andrew.
It was special and sweet because he absolutely meant it with all of his heart. You have had those same kinds of conversations with your kids and grands also. But I have to tell you, that conversation scared me a little.
Part of me is scared because I know what radical faith demands. What danger, persecution, and pain await him with that kind of obedience? But God will see him thru whatever comes. Just like he does the rest of his family.
Maybe I'm afraid of how unpopular that kind of faith would be in our culture. And maybe afraid because I know how unpopular it would be among most churches.
But here is what scares me the most. I am afraid there will be Christians who will discourage that kind of faith. People that would try to explain why God can't mean it if he asked that kind of obedience. Maybe well meaning, but those who would explain why radical obedience like that was something for Bible times, not today times. People who will always stay in the boat instead of walk on the water.
I pray Andrew will always keep that kind of radical faith and obedience. Because someday God will call him to hold fire in his hand. To do something that he would not ordinarily do. To do something that requires incredible courage and faith. And I pray he will.
Me too.
So thanks to his parents who are raising him to be a radical believer. Thanks to Bible class teachers who are molding him into a real Jesus follower. Thanks for the radical spiritual heroes he sees in the Bible and around him today.
And thanks to Andrew for reminding me that I don't need to hold fire in my hand.
Unless God tells me to.
Out of the mouth of babes...
