I was reminded of a principle from my physic's class in college. The principle is objects have potential energy. The glass of water that sits on the dinner table has gravitational potential energy. If my child is present at the table then gravitational potential energy becomes evident when they accidentally knock the glass onto the floor.

The glass, by itself, cannot move because of the friction between it and the surface of the table. What is needed is a force to act on the glass to overcome the friction. The overall beginning or starting force is called Excitation force; which fits the description of my children at the dinner table. But there is a force at work within Excitation called the Resistive force. The Resistive force is the amount of force needed to overcome the friction, causing the glass to fall off the table. My wonderful child’s hand or elbow acts as the resistive force on a regular basis.

James states in chapter five verse 17 that “Elijah was a man just like us.” (NIV) This verse reminded me that I have potential energy. Potential to do the will of God in ways I never considered or thought possible. Am I allowing the Excitation force or the Holy Spirit to begin a work in my life? Am I allowing the Resistive force of God’s spirit to help me overcome the friction to reach my potential?

Let us take this one step further. What is the potential we see in our children? Our children have the potential to impact this world with a force never seen before in human history. A Resistive force that gives them the ability to overcome any and all friction that man or life brings against them. Let us take a moment each day and encourage them to know the one true God in word and spirit. Remind each child daily of the hope that God will lead them to their full potential in life.

If you will excuse me, I have to clean up a broken glass that fell off the table.

The Tale of Perfection

 It is an idea of being flawless and mistake free in obtaining your goal. I have been pushed to be perfect in all aspects of my life. The problem is I can never obtain it, nobody can. If perfection is reached, then what do you do? Reality is that perfection is a lie because no one can reach perfection. Please consider Jesus response to the religious leaders in Matthew 5:48, Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. (NIV)

Consider another aspect of perfection, no grace. The demand of perfection is for you to achieve or you fail. You have one chance to do it right and there is no alternative. Grace allows us unmerited favor to work things out. Perfection allows for no mistakes or second chances.

The Tale of Practice

 It is what we do everyday. The routines we go through every morning to prepare for the day. It is what we do at work to overcome the challenges we face. Practice is how we respond to conditions set before us. We rely on the experiences of the past to make it through the present.

Practice is how we learn and grow. We make an attempt to fix a problem. If we fail in our approach to fix it, then we try another way. The second chance is called grace. Perfection only gives you one chance and you are done. Practice allows us to learn and grow through our experiences and mistakes. Please consider Paul’s encouraging words in Philippians 4:9, Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me-put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. (NIV)

Which P should I apply in raising my children? Perfection will place a burden on my children challenging them to achieve something that is impossible. Practice will give my children a hope to work through each challenge in the journey of life. I choose practice!

Proverbs 22:6 reads, Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it. (NIV) During my drive from Champaign, IL to Kansas City, I felt impressed by God to consider what this is saying. The verse is a cause and effect statement. A child is trained in the faith and the effect is they will live it out.

But how do you define the act of train?

The verb train in this verse is an imperative or strict command. The training of the child is not a choice. I have to be intentional every day to train my children in the faith.

What does this say to me as a parent?

It tells me to daily encourage my children in the faith. Each day I must teach God's word and be a living example to my children.

Where does the church fit in?

The church is a part of the whole where people are encouraged and built up in the faith. But let us apply some perspective to training my children. If my children attend Northland Cathedral on Sunday morning and Wednesday evening, and they will, the total time is only four and a half hours. There are 168 hours in a week.

What is the conclusion?

The training of my children first and foremost begins at home (cause) and therefore they will embrace the faith for eternity (effect).