GROWTH IN SPIRITUALITY FOR THE YOUNG

 

And the Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.   (Luke 2:40)

Jesus was the Son of God, but also the Son of Man.  He was fully God and yet wholly man.  This is the miracle of the incarnation.  Often, we may find us defending His Deity before a typically skeptical world and increasingly liberal church.  Yet, we dare not promote Christ’s Divine nature at the expense of His human one.  Jesus was born as God in the flesh—but He was truly in the flesh!  He was subject to all that people go through—sorrow, hunger, thirst, weariness, disappointment, pain and temptation (yet never succumbing to sin).

He was not born fully grown.  He didn’t just teleport down from space as a mature man.  He developed as a child into adolescence.  As such, Jesus affords the model for the young among as too.

Jesus grew to be STRONG IN SPIRIT .  He not only matured physically, but spiritually.  Parents properly want their child to be well-fed and attired.  They want them to be healthy and strong.  While not neglecting that, should we care for our child’s body and not care for their soul? 

Jesus grew to be FULL OF WISDOM.  Jesus had to learn the Word like anyone else.  Joseph and Mary instructed Him.  He would be ready to face Satan with the Spirit’s sword.  People marveled at His wisdom. 

People will sneer at the thought of the church “indoctrinating” their sons and daughters.  The world gives the term a sinister connotation.  The reality is that someone is going to indoctrinate your children.  Nature abhors a vacuum and somebody will fill the empty space between their little ears with something.  They can either be indoctrinated with the Word of God and get wisdom or they will be indoctrinated with the world’s philosophy and become fools.  It is not a question of whether they will be taught, but who will teach them, and what will be taught.

Jesus grew to be MIGHTY IN GRACE.  All of heaven’s resources were available to Jesus.  He would live in moment by moment dependence on His Father’s power and provision, refusing the appropriate His own Divine prerogatives apart from grace as we must each and every day. 

Although our children will not perfectly live in the experience of almighty grace, they can progressively embrace it.  What we pray for our youngster to encounter is grace to save, secure, steer, sustain and seal! That is amazing grace!