Driving the Anchors Deep

    As our family enters the teen years I have often found myself asking God how do we navigate these "waters" in a way that will look different.  Different from what the world says the teen years will look like or what I see it looking like in other families.  The Lord said to me "Drive the anchors deep".

      Recently we were on the shores of Puerto Rico and as I sat on the beach looking out into the ocean I saw a huge cargo ship sailing out to sea.  I began to think about its anchor and how it would be used during any storm it might face or to anchor itself to the shore.  In the same way we all need an anchor that will secure us to Jesus and keep us steady through the storms of life.  That anchor is the Word of God and our faith.  By establishing anchors of the Word in our children's heart we are preparing them to face a secular world. (1 Peter 3:15)

     In our current culture 75% of Christian young people leave the church and their faith after high school (as specified in a recent survey by Barna Research Group and USA Today).  I believe that percentage is due to three major factors.  First, God and a biblical worldview has been removed from public schools.  The second factor is that many churches focus on feel good messages and a host of activities that tingle the senses with little or no deep teaching of the Word.  Lastly, and most importantly, parents are non-engaged when it comes to training their children in biblical truths.  Smith Wigglesworth stated it so very well when he said, "Many Christian feed their body three hot meals a day and their spirit one cold snack a week."  To drive the anchors deep into the soil of our children's hearts their has to be an awaken within our own heart and then we must "train our children in the way they should go".   (Proverbs 22:6)

     How then do we engraft a biblical worldview into their heart that will set them apart and anchor them to Jesus?  It takes a daily dose of the Word as well as time spent praying as a family every day.  Being intentional in bringing them face to face with Jesus will plant seeds of truth in their heart that will carry them through any circumstance or temptation they may face.  (Duet. 11:18-21)  Driving the anchors deep takes a determined effort but the fruit of our labor will be produce a generation of of teens who know who they are in Jesus.  May He grant you wisdom and grace to accomplish this good work in your children.  (Eph. 1:16-19)

Brooke Glass