Jul
28
2014
Front Row Seat
Posted in Discipleship 2 Comments
His mother was up in front leading us in worship.
A summer Sunday morning in church.
The words of the songs were up on the screen for all of us to sing our praises to the Lord.
I have watched this young woman stand before me on other Sundays.
I saw something different this Sunday morning.
I saw discipleship lived out before me.
This young mother has two sons, one is with her in church; one is in the nursery.
Her husband was actually in the sound room, taking care of the technical things.
That meant that this young mom was in the pew with her oldest son.
I watched her when the children’s sermon began.
I watched her make her way to the front where the children come to sit down.
I watched her take her son’s hand and sit him on her lap on the floor.
He is now old enough to be there with the other children.
He is still young enough that he is more comfortable with his mom nearby.
There he sat on her lap, listening.
He has a little backpack that he brings into church.
I am sure there are wonderful, appropriate things for him inside.
He is well behaved and quiet; more talkative when he gets to know you.
When the church service was over, this young mom had to lead worship again.
Her oldest son could not be left in the pew all by himself.
She did the most wonderful thing.
She led him by the hand and sat him in the front row.
He was directly in front of his mom as she sang.
She led us in worship as she discipled her son.
He watched her.
He smiled at her when she smiled down at him.
He was so content as his mommy sang; as if she was singing to him alone.
It warmed my heart to watch them.
She was discipling her son right before our eyes.
She was showing him what worshiping the Lord looks like.
She was showing him how important it is to listen to God’s word.
She was teaching him how to sit quietly and respectfully in church.
She was modeling a living, breathing relationship with God.
She was doing all of that as natural as breathing in and out.
Being part of the local church is important to her and her husband.
She wants it to be important to her sons as well.
Her sons are not going to be discipled by osmosis.
It takes intentionality on the part of her and her husband.
It takes purposeful training to teach them to be men of God.
She is starting young.
She is doing what God commands.
She is honoring God by the way she is raising her sons.
Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates. (Deuteronomy 6:4-9)
God tells His people to impress His commands upon their children.
IMPRESS: to make a mark or design on (an object) using a stamp or seal; imprint.
Imprint God’s word and God’s commands on the heart of a child.
God does not lay out any fancy way of doing that.
He simply says to do that as you walk along.
He simply says to do that as you sit at home, when you lie down, and when you get up.
Basically, parents are told to disciple their children all the time.
It is not a hands folded kind of training.
It is walk along kind of training; the kind of training that happens as you live.
The kind of training that is “caught” as the child watches you.
The kind of training that is natural in the ebb and flow of daily life.
The kind of training that happens without the child even knowing they are trained.
A living, breathing discipleship.
Teaching about God as you walk along in your daily routine.
Teaching about God as your children walk with you.
Not by osmosis, or wishful thinking.
Intentional, walk-along training.
Teaching those that you love the most about the ONE you love the most.
This young mom did exactly that.
To her son, his mommy was singing, much like she does when he goes to bed.
It is up to her to tell him WHO she is singing to; WHO is the object of her worship.
All of this intentional discipleship will one day bear fruit.
One day, the One she loves the most will, by God’s grace, be the One he loves the most.
The Lord Jesus, her Savior, will by God’s grace, be her son’s Savior as well.
Caught and taught.
Living, breathing discipleship.
Walk along training.
God knew what He was doing.
I too marveled at how this young boy was so well behaved as his Mom led the worship team. He’s only a bout 4–how many kids that age would be trusted to sit there? It shows the good training at home and like you said, his Mom is giving him a great example of her faith.
Sue,
We witnessed discipleship in action.
We were truly blessed.
Gina