Leave It Behind

When Jesus called His disciples He asked them to leave everything behind and follow Him.  As my kids and I focused our talks each morning on the retelling of Jesus calling His disciples and what it means to be a disciple of Jesus, the concept of leaving things behind kept coming up.  We know our kids aren't being asked to leave a job, a home, a life behind, as the twelve were, so what are they being called to leave behind as they learn to follow Jesus?

We talked a lot about the idea that what we leave behind is a daily decision.  For my two kids, what resonated with them was the leaving behind of hurts, anger, frustration, worry, sadness, and all those other negative feelings they encounter each day.  It's the whole turn the other cheek concept, but turning the other cheek in such a way that they have made a choice in that moment for Jesus.  They have made a choice in the moment they leave something behind to be a disciple.  And the practice of this strengthens their and our walk with the Lord.  Ask your kids, "What can you leave behind today?".   "What will you be faced with today that will give you the opportunity to leave something behind to be a disciple?"  The concept of leaving something behind for God and focusing on it, helps us and our kids learn to walk in closer relationship with Him.  Which begs the question, what keeps us and our kids from putting God first?

It's so easy in the information age to put all kinds of things first.  There are thousands of messages begging for our kids hearts daily and they need to be equipped to filter them, put God first, and leave things behind daily.  I have been doing a bible study by Vicki Courtney called, 5 Conversations You Must Have with Your Son.  One of those conversations fit into the whole idea that what we can't leave behind keeps us from God.  Vicki titles the conversation, what you don't learn to control will become your master.

My son, Cole, is a video game player, but we do enforce screen time limits and screen time means any screen; TV, computer, iTouch, DS.  When we started time limits we talked about what we think about most is what stops us from thinking about God.  Ugh, so here we go with the yuck.  This past weekend Cole had used up his screen time and as I headed off to do errands we talked about him finding other activities for the rest of the day.  When I returned a couple hours later he was on the couch playing his DS.  No, he wasn't alone for two hours and yes I should have communicated the expectation with his Dad, but he is 10 years old now and some responsibility for yourself is important.  What I wanted to do was scream at him.  What I did say was, "Please tell me you have not been here for two hours?"  Yes, he pretty much had been there for two hours.

But, God is good.  I went up to my room while he changed for his afternoon activity and I prayed and tried hard to think of a scripture.  The Vicki Courtney conversation came to mind and the scripture Romans 12:2.  So I sat in Cole's room and explained that God wants his heart and mind and when it is focused elsewhere it is not His.  We talked about the fact that when he forgets stuff at home and school, he is probably thinking about a video game instead of what is needed at the time and he admitted that this was true.  We talked about how he was giving his heart and mind to video games instead of to God.  We then went off to his activity, which was at a church, and as we walked through the youth room, do you know what was written bigger than life on the chalk board wall?
"Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - His good, pleasing, and perfect will"  Romans 12:2!

How awesome is God?  We looked at each other, smiled and said together, God wants our hearts and minds.  God showed up in Cole's life exactly when he needed Him.  Leaving things behind to be a disciple can be a hard concept for kids.  It sets them apart from their friends, and it can make them stand out at times.  But when the Lord speaks to them, their soft, pliable hearts hear Him.  Our job as parents is to tee it up for the Lord by teaching them to be His disciples.

By His Grace