Daniel Switzer: Raising Our Vision for our Children: Servant Leaders of Godly Influence

I want to encourage us as parents and as adults to raise our vision for our children. The Bible says that people perish for lack of vision. Vision motivates us in our daily lives. Keeping a vision for our children constantly before us serves to motivate us as we seek to raise them in the Lord.

This is not just for parents. We need to raise our vision for the children of our congregation. So many of us, in one way or another, influence these little ones. Jesus was not a parent, but he clearly desired to influence children and used them as examples for us all. This is shown in Mark 10:13-16:

People were bringing little children to Jesus to have him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them.

Jesus clearly understood the priority of reaching out to, ministering to, and blessing children!

Even though he was not a parent, Christ had a special relationship with children, and we’re to imitate Jesus. We may be a Kids Church leader, a nursery teacher, or one that gives children a hearty greeting and seeks to talk with them. We may be a parent, a grandparent, or a spiritual grandparent. While obviously parents are responsible for their children, we’re all part of the family of God and so we all need to raise our vision for the children growing up in the church.

The typical vision parents possess has to do with the American Dream—getting a college education, a nice-paying job, owning a home with a two-car garage, etc.—basically a good life, a comfortable life. These things are not wrong in and of themselves, but we need to raise the standard for what our children can become in God’s Kingdom.

We need to hold to Scriptures such as Ephesians 2:8-10 for our children: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” God has definitive plans for our children—plans to use them to advance His Kingdom!

Children are important. We need to reach out to them, train, and instruct them while they are young. We need to share the message of God’s grace with them while they’re young. Christ put a premium on children. We know from research that most people if they come to the Lord, do so at a young age—by around age 14. God can redeem any life, but it’s critical that we reach people and not just make converts, but disciples, while they’re young!

Ecclesiastes 12:1 says, “Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come and the years approach when you will say, ‘I find no pleasure in them.’” If we raise our vision for our children making a difference in God’s Kingdom, I suggest that we see them becoming servant leaders that influence their generation for Christ, basically the kind of person God calls all of his children to become!

The Greatness of Servanthood

First, our children need to learn what it means to walk in the greatness of servanthood.

It’s been reported that today’s young adult generation is one that’s characterized by being focused on “me,” my needs, even a sense of entitlement. Jesus defined true greatness as servanthood—serving others.

In Matthew 20 the mother of James and John came to Jesus and asked him a favor. She asked that Jesus would grant her sons seats at his right and his left in his kingdom—positions of power. Jesus told them that they didn’t know what they were asking for and asked, “Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?” He was referring to the suffering that he would experience.

Well, you can imagine the ruckus among the disciples that occurred. An argument broke out. Jesus used the opportunity for a teachable moment. He called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave—just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

We need to teach our children what is true greatness, according to God’s standards as opposed to the standards of this world. The messages our children receive from the world tell them that greatness is being a professional athlete, or a popular actress, or even a popular socialite. Our task is to help our young people desire to be great in God’s eyes—to serve others, to lead others through serving them. Our challenge is to raise their vision that true greatness is found in serving others.

One way we can raise our children’s vision of God’s definition of true greatness is to lift up examples from the Word of God, such as Jesus Christ and others, to help them to see the kind of godly champions they can become. One of these examples is the life of Samuel. Samuel’s life was used by God, but before Samuel was ever born his mother Hannah was heartbroken. She was bitter because she was barren. Hannah cried out to the Lord for a son and said that if God granted her request, she would give her son over to the Lord. God, of course, granted her request.

Hannah had a God-given vision for her child! The boy Samuel was given over to the Lord to serve Him. His parents—Hannah and Elkanah—were servants of the Lord. That focus on serving the Lord was passed on to their son Samuel.

Children will catch much more from our lives than what comes out of our mouth. If they see us involved in serving the Lord and serving others, and if we involve them in that service, they will catch the true greatness of serving others. They will learn to lead by example. They will learn to win people in this way—through serving them.

Servant Leading through Love

In raising our vision for our children to become servant leaders of godly influence, they must learn to lead through love and compassion for others. God himself leads through love. Exodus 15:13 says, “In your unfailing love you will lead the people you have redeemed. In your strength you will guide them to your holy dwelling.” Servant leading involves loving others; it’s putting our focus on others. God leads us this way.

We’re to imitate Jesus Christ. Jesus led through love. This leading through love is all through his words; it’s all through his life. Listen to the words of Jesus Christ:

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him” (John 3:16-17, italics added)._

When asked the most important commandment, Jesus said in Mark 12 to love the Lord your God with all your being and to love your neighbor as yourself.

Jesus, of course, is our example of how to be a servant leader of godly influence. We need to continually lift him up before our children. Often children growing up in Christian homes get a very healthy dose of being right and doing what’s right, and this sometimes leads to looking down on those who do wrong. While certainly we want our children to learn to do right, if we want our children to grow up to be servant leaders of godly influence, we need to teach them how Jesus approached and led people and that is through serving them, focusing on the needs of others as opposed to oneself, and motivating them through the power of love.

Hearing God’s Voice and Influencing Their Generation

In raising our vision for our children, we can see them learning to hear God’s voice and influencing their generation for God! Acts 13:36 speaks of how David served God’s purpose in his generation! I challenge you to see your children impacting their generation—serving God’s purpose in their generation.

So much of Christ’s mission to make disciples has to do with teaching the next generation, teaching our children, teaching those younger in the faith! And that involves all of us! Psalm 71:17-18 says, “Since my youth, O God, you have taught me, and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds. Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, O God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your might to all who are to come.”

We often think of grandparents getting to spoil their grandchildren, but God has a higher purpose for grandparents, including spiritual grandparents! We need to impact children for Christ and help them to see his purposes for their lives. Being servant leaders of godly influence means that both we and our children are making an eternal difference both in our generation and in the next generation.

First Samuel 3 is a precious passage of the boy Samuel coming of age and finding his identity as one who hears and proclaims the Word of the Lord. Through Eli’s assistance Samuel learns to hear the voice of the Lord. Verse 19 says, “The Lord was with Samuel as he grew up, and he let none of his words fall to the ground.” Samuel learned to hear the voice of God and was used by God to lead his generation after the Lord. Hannah’s raised vision for her child was being realized!

Our children can grow up learning to train their ears to God’s voice. Our children need revelation. They need to spend quiet time with God and become sensitive to His voice! Serving God’s purpose in their generation means making an eternal difference—lives are changed as a result of their life! Whether it’s in their classroom, on an athletic team, on a worship team, or in their neighborhood, our young people have opportunities to influence others—to communicate in such a way that Christ is lifted up and people are drawn to Him.

I encourage us to raise our vision of our children becoming champions for God! 1 Samuel 2:26 says, “And the boy Samuel continued to grow in stature and in favor with the Lord and with men.” Like all of us, our children are in a process of growing into Christ’s likeness and purposes. I challenge us to raise our vision, to raise the standard of what our children can become in God. Embrace the purpose that you are raising up your children for the purpose of advancing the Kingdom of God. Work at mining the gold that God has already placed in our children. Understand the truth of Jeremiah 29:11 as it applies to our children: “For I know the plans I have for you,” and Ephesians 2:10: “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (NIV). May the Lord help us to see the importance he placed on raising up children for his purpose.