PARENTS as APOSTLES

My mom wasn't super strict, but she had a strong sense of right and wrong that she shared with me. It was all about following our Christian beliefs. If I stepped out of line, she'd remind me, "We don’t do that in our faith. That’s a no-no." That phrase stuck with me. Whenever I was tempted to do something I already knew was wrong, I'd hear those words in my head.

In hindsight, I’m grateful those words helped me stay on the right path. Now that I'm a parent, whenever my oldest makes a bad choice, he knows exactly what I'm going to say: "In this family, we don’t do that. That’s a no-no!"

Think of apostles as founders. They are believers sent out on a mission by Jesus. The mission is to spread the good news of Jesus Christ worldwide. They play a critical role in keeping Jesus's mission and vision alive (Matthew 28:16-20 & Romans 15:20). To do this effectively, they must ensure that new converts or churches are founded on the principles God laid out for His church to follow.

Parents are pretty much like that for their families. When two people get married and start their own family, they're starting something new, just like the apostles. Their job is to build a family foundation based on the values and principles that matter to them. Kids don't come with a manual about family dos and don'ts. It's up to us, the parents, to show them our values through our daily lives and actions. Over time, they catch on to what matters to us as a family.

For example, in Acts 14, when there was a big debate about certain rules for new converts, Paul and Barnabas discussed it with the leaders (Jerusalem Council). It’s kind of like checking in with the parents. These leaders had to teach the newcomers (kids if you may) the family values they prioritize the most. In our homes, parents do the same. We are keeping our family's beliefs and values alive, guiding our kids like the apostles did, with patience and love.