Don't Raise Good Kids

I know that none of us would say that we have perfect kids. But a lot of us would say that our kids are "pretty good." If this is you, please listen to this caution from Jon Bloom: Don't Raise Good Kids.

First, his personal experience growing up as a "good kid":

"Though I believe my pre-adolescent conversion was real — God is gracious to produce and honor a small seed of real faith — it was hard to swallow that I was that bad. God showing favor on me in redemption made sense because others had shown favor on me. 

But it was hard for me to see that this favor was not the approval of a good kid but the pardoning of a condemned sinner. Really? Me deserve hell?

It took quite a while — I am, in fact, still recovering — to see that in reality I was (am) profoundly depraved. Much of my outward good behavior was fueled by evil, selfish motives. Underneath my good-kid veneer was a glory-stealing, envious, covetous, idolatrous, lecherous person."

He concludes with a directive to parents:

"Make sure you have a firm grip on the true doctrine of total depravity so that you don’t encourage evil goodness in your children. For apart from Jesus, nothing good dwells in them (Romans 7:18)."

Be sure to read the full article.


Related Links:

• Heart Connection, Moralism, and Grace   
• Kids Who Forgive Too Quickly, or Too Slowly  
• Gospel-Centered Children  
• On Moralistic Teaching 
• Biblical Parenting vs Gospel Parenting   
• Conversation with Paul Trip and Elyse Fitzpatrick: Parenting and the Gospel   
• Missing the "Why" of the Gospel     

**image courtesy of planetka via sxc.hu