Watch/Listen
Sticky Faith
Kyle Wade
June 2, 2013
Audio Player
My Father's Priorities
I was in the 8th grade when it happened. Our football game had been moved to Wednesday night due to weather. My dad had told me we were not going to miss church for a football game. He said we would stay as long as we could but we would in fact make it to church. I guess I thought he was bluffing. I was in the huddle when I saw him start walking down to the front of the stands to come get me. I couldn't believe it. Was he really going to take me out? I had shown up for church many times in different sports uniforms but this would be a first. Sure enough, he waved at me and told me to come on. I ran off the field angry and embarrassed.
My dad never failed to communicate his priorities to our family. God and the body of Christ mattered more than a kids game. One might disagree with what he did, especially in this sports crazed culture we live in, but my father communicated clearly what would matter most to his family.
In a culture where kids are leaving faith at an alarming rate we must grapple with the reality that parents matter most in the spiritual lives of their children, not youth ministers, or children's ministers. Parent's spirituality matters! Parent's priorities matter. Whether we like it or not, we get what we are, not what we say when it comes to parenting.