Much of my adult theology was formed before I entered kindergarten.  Long before I sat in a reading circle in Mrs. Ping’s class, I came to know the Creator of the universe, discovered the origin of the stars, sun and moon, and was introduced to the amazing privilege of prayer through which I had access to the God of unlimited supernatural power.  In addition, I learned that God made me, and loved me enough to save me from my sins.  That’s right.  At the ripe old age of four, I already knew about sin, and Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. 

Yet, I was not a spiritual prodigy.  Many children raised in Christian environments are equally informed.  And while this is a very good thing, I have been thinking lately about the more practical aspects of theology as we grow into adults. 

What happens when the spiritual lessons we are taught as children do not align with adult realities?  When I share this challenge, your mind may move to weighty questions such as, “Why doesn’t God answer my prayers for physical healing?” Or, “If God is good, why does he allow bad things to happen?”  While these questions deserve our attention, they are not the kind of realities I have in mind.

I am more presently concerned about ways in which some adult Christians behave as it stands in contrast to what children have historically learned in an atmosphere of faith, and more specifically, the spiritual trauma occurring in the hearts and minds of adolescents and young adults. 

In my preschool Sunday Class I learned this simple song: “Be careful little hands what you do.  Be careful little hands what you do.  For the Father up above is looking down in love.  So be careful little hands what you do.” 

The song had many verses, as it addressed various aspects of human behavior, including, what we say, what we see, where we go, what we hear and what we think.  The rationale for guarding these areas of our lives was simple: “For the Father up above is looking down in love.” 

I likely don’t need to spend much time describing how these lessons look in practical terms.  And this is not the focus of my thoughts here.  I am more concerned about what happens in the minds and hearts of those coming behind us when we disregard the sentiments of this song (or any lessons children are taught in a Christian setting) as grown-ups. 

I still remember the day I found a can in my family refrigerator with the label “Apple Beer”.  Please know, I do not believe drinking in moderation is a sin, but for a number of reasons, no one in our family consumed alcohol, and I still do not to this day.  Maybe this was because, as a minister, my father’s heart had been broken by the devastating effects of alcohol on those whose occasional drink grew into a tragic addiction.  When my parents saw my countenance fall, it didn’t take long for them to realize what was going on.  They explained to me their “Apple Beer” was just apple cider, and they had not changed the rules.  They also tossed the cans in the trash. 

Again, drinking in moderation is not a sin.  But I use this memory to describe the disillusionment that occurs when those who have gone before us appear to violate the lessons they have taught.  Obviously, we cannot hold anyone to a perfect standard, and as we mature, we must accept the fact people will not always be consistent in their Christian walk.  We never want to become judgmental since continuously pointing out hypocrisy in others’ lives can blind us to our own sins. 

But I come back to my concern.  I believe, when we abandon the general characteristics of a spirit-filled mind and heart, we run the risk of damaging the faith of the young.  Not only do we forget “the Father up above is looking down in love”, we also discount the respect children have for older Christians. 

Over the past several years, I have been troubled by the words and actions of adults in the presence of, and directed toward young believers.  Perhaps we think, when our own children are grown, what we do and say isn’t as important as it once was.  After all, we might reason, the ones we used to teach in Sunday School are older now, and they experience much worse among their peers.  They might even do and say things that make us blush! So, why does it matter how we behave?

The answer to this question is two-fold.  First, because “the Father up above is looking down in love.”  It doesn’t matter who we are or how long we have lived.  God doesn’t care any less about the way we conduct ourselves now than he did when we were being taught not to spit at others, say bad words or hurt others with our words as children.  In fact, He likely cares more, since we are now old enough to, as they say, “know better.”  Secondly, it really doesn’t matter how far the children who grew up in a Christian atmosphere have drifted from God.  They might be involved in ongoing sinful practices and speak profanity like a second language.  This doesn’t change our need to speak and act in a way that honors Jesus. 

One day, Jesus put a child in front of a crowd and said, “If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble! Such things must come, but woe to the person through whom they come!” (Matthew 18:6-7) Ponder this verse.  Is death better than being held accountable for causing a child to stumble?  Evidently.

There are many ways we can cause those who come behind us to stumble, and sometimes we do so innocently, as in the case of my parent’s “Apple Beer.”  But my point is that I believe we have, on many occasions, forgotten the profound impact the things young believers see in and hear from us can have on their faith.  While it is true we are not their saviors, and they need to know we are flawed human beings, it is also true we should not behave carelessly or be surprised when those we taught about Jesus accuse us of being unchristian.  And we should also not chalk their words up to the perception they have been corrupted by the world and don’t know what they are talking about.  Perhaps they have been corrupted by the world (which I should remind us, is the world they have inherited from adults).  But their reaction to our words and actions might still be coming from a sincere disappointment in who they thought we were; who we taught them to be.

I can’t tell you what to do and say in every situation.  And I certainly am not the perfect example of someone who always honors the Lord with my behavior.  But I still appeal to all of us who are older to consider the fact we are not only in a battle for the minds of young people, but also the heart.  And one way we win their hearts is to reflect the person of Jesus in everything, and especially in the way we speak and act toward them. We can also cover a multitude of sins if we take more time to listen.  After all, “the Father up above is looking down in love.”  So be careful!  It doesn’t take long for a millstone to sink to the bottom.