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It was a Sunday. Our family went to grab some lunch after church before heading to get groceries. It was one of those days. I just knew everyone would be cranky, Mommy included, if we didn't get some lunch before trying to tackle our errands.
We went to a sort of fast-food, serve yourself, diner-style Asian restaurant. In the middle of the table were tall containers of paper-wrapped chopsticks. My husband, Josh, handed Jacob a fork for his meal, but Jacob was fixated on those chopsticks. The problem? Jacob was only around 20 months old.
Original photo credit: © Depositphotos.com/tkemot
It's amazing what you can learn from a toddler trying to use chopsticks. I hesitated to let him try at first. I had visions of flying chopsticks and food lost to the floor. I didn't think Jacob could do it. He's not even two years old. There was no way he was going to get any of that food to his mouth.
I was so wrong!
That little boy was patient. He was determined to get those little bites of chicken to his mouth using the chopsticks. And you know what? He did it. Not just once or twice. He succeeded over and over again. Every piece of chicken arrived safely in his mouth.
Now, understand this: I'm a pretty laid back mom. I'm not usually seen as a helicopter mom by any stretch of the imagination. I'm usually good about letting my kids do and try things on their own, but I'm also not a fan of messes. That day, God showed me that I needed to loosen up even more. I needed to let my boys try new things on their own. Even in the face of possible failure.
“For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.” Hebrews 5:12-14 (ESV)
So how does this apply to the spiritual lives of our kids?
We need to stop underestimating our kids spiritually. We need to help them move from milk to solid food. I've long been frustrated by the Sunday School classes for toddlers and even preschoolers in many churches I've attended. Too often the time is used only for toys and snacks. These little ones aren't even being given spiritual milk! They are capable of so much more.
What about our teens and the modern concept of youth group? We've made those years about fun and not pushing them away from God. But this time is crucial for building a solid relationship with God. Those years are the final opportunity to firm up their biblical foundation before they head off to college or into the working world on their own.
From toddlers to teens, we as parents need to stop underestimating our kids. Don't waste these years in your kids' lives. Teach them to feed themselves. Help them move from spiritual milk to spiritual solid food. They may look like they are clumsily and improperly using chopsticks at first, but the stories they read and the truths they learn will remain with them forever.
