Know the Why

"Teach your children to choose the right path, and when they are older, they will remain upon it." Proverbs 22:6 (NLT)

The other day when I was listening to the radio, the program was talking about teenagers in high school and college straying away from being involved in church.  Also, how when confronted on why do believe that, they were not able to defend their beliefs.

I feel it was because some of us never understood why we believe what we do, and why we are a follower of Christ.  Do we just go to church because Mom and Dad took us when we were younger, and it was now just out of habit?  Or as our preacher said in his sermon, because they were following the "rules" and "traditions"; Are we going through the motions because they're the rules, or because we have a relationship with Jesus?

I take the above verse from Proverbs to mean teach your children how to make decisions and the why so that when they are older, they are able to decide for themselves the right path. If we know why we are a follower of Christ, we will be better prepared to defend our beliefs if confronted.  This also helps us be convicted in our beliefs which would help us better witness.

I take this as a great challenge to educate my children as well as myself on what it means to be a Christian.  That maintaining a "moral code" is only a part of it, that we must be followers of Christ and have a relationship with him.

Are you just maintaining a moral code or following Christ?