Thesis: no matter how much Scripture and catechism parents teach their children, if the children do not enjoy their homelife, the parents are in great danger of losing them to the world.
We've taught our children Scripture and catechism from their infancy, and in the past I've felt rather good about that. But this weekend a personal testimony, a movie, and the example of our neighbors convinced me that we too often lack joy in our home, and this problem has the power to easily and totally ruin our efforts towards raising godly children.
Parents have a tendency to push upon their children too forcefully the one thing they most want their children to be, and ironically, the children end up hating that particular thing most of all. This can be done with sports, with reading, and also in the teaching of the Christian faith. The answer is not to give up, rather it must be taught appropriately, and always with a measure of joy in the child.
I don't excuse the child in this process, they are often as stubborn and cranky as their parents. But I do see here a lesson that I need to learn--to raise children not just intentionally, but joyfully, too!
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