ORIGINALLY POSTED ON ATIMETOSHARE.ME 9/22/15

Growing up in an old German congregation, where fire and brimstone was the fare of the day, it was hard to find a smiling face leaving that church. Conservative Lutherans are often accused of being too serious, but with a weekly dose of death and damnation, it was enough to literally scare the hell out of me.

I also grew up in a home which provided the correct amount of discipline, reproved with words – but an occasional spanking wasn’t out of the question. Children don’t come out of the womb perfectly prepared for life. They need to be given instruction on how to behave , they must be taught manners, good behavior and the correct way to relate to others.

When we raise our children, it’s necessary to provide those tools for them so they know how to fend for themselves in the real world. The same is true when we give our children Christian values as a foundation for life.

Kids usually balk at going to church. Kids don’t like discipline either. None of us like to be reproved, but both things are necessary if we’re to survive in a world of chaos, fear and daily peril. Many people feel that both of these areas of our child rearing are nothing more than scare tactics used to instill the fear of God into little minds. We were blessed to attend a baptism of twins today and the importance of baptism rang true again. Blessing these little ones with God’s holy presence within them is the best thing parents can do for their kids.

The words I heard from the pulpit of my childhood would help me realize my need for a Savior. My childhood home wasn’t all tied up in discipline. Most of it was motivated by love. The connection is obvious to me now.

When we train a child in the way of the Lord, we aren’t brainwashing them. We’re giving them valuable tools to get them through life.