Spiritual Faithfulness to God

Parents who begin thinking about raising their children from early childhood and invest the best knowledge and efforts into young hearts will not be left without reward for their labor. All the good and true things they sowed into young souls will surely sprout and bear abundant fruit.

Although there are isolated cases when children choose the world or evil communities corrupt good morals, in the vast majority of cases the faith transmitted to children performs cardinal transformations in their hearts.

Jesus drew me to Himself when I was a young man, and my spiritual life was confidently rolling downhill. But the Lord called me into His fellowship and began personally teaching me heavenly truths through constant revelations and through His Word. He placed me in various circumstances and even allowed my falls, so that later He could reveal the danger of this sin and cleanse me from it forever.

During my spiritual growth in the church, I went through all stages of faith, experienced many trials, but never became disappointed in Jesus. I never even had a thought about leaving God's chosen people and living by myself. I saw many situations because of which many people left the church, and sometimes I myself was a conduit of an evil spirit, not understanding what I was doing. But the Holy Spirit always convicted me of my blindness and punished me for such an attitude toward my neighbors. How shameful it is to remember all my mistakes and falls that caused problems and disappointments to other people, but many examples of faithfulness that were revealed to me in Sacred Scripture helped me keep the right course to Heaven and distinguish good from evil.

In the matter of forming faith, all spiritual tools and relationships should be involved, starting from knowing the truth and including my personal choice of the path that leads to a deeper knowledge of the Deity at all levels.

If I am asked what helps me preserve faith in various circumstances, the answer will be simple: "Believe in the Lord your God and you will be established; believe his prophets, and you will succeed" (2 Chron. 20:20).

By believing in the Lord and in the message of His prophets, I enter into the closest relationships with the most powerful Forces in the entire Universe. And considering that our Great Lord unconditionally loves and values each of His sons and daughters, I understand that I cannot escape from this all-encompassing love, and I have to immerse myself in it completely and be the beloved son of the Heavenly King.

It is very difficult for me to imagine how one can live with God, strive for Eternal Life and, at the same time, show unfaithfulness or dream of returning to the world with its temptations and sins.

I understand that having friends among peers in the church contributes to staying in it, but in my personal experience of spiritual formation, I sought truth and Christ, and the Lord added friends of different ages to me, with whom it was interesting to communicate and grow.

My spiritual growth took place in Germany, in a country whose language I did not understand at first and church services gave me little, but I understood that this was God's organization, and I independently studied the foundations of faith from the Bible and books in my native language. This taught me not to depend on people's opinions, but to build my faith on the foundation: "It is written." This principle helps me to this day, even when I learned German and can communicate freely in it.

At some period of my growth, I stood in opposition to the church and began fighting against the lawlessness about which I heard much from disappointed people. But even in this situation the Lord did not leave me, and having led me through the "dark forest," He cleansed me from dangerous garbage and taught me to see not the sins of imperfect people, but the prospects of what one can become under the influence of God's grace.

The life example of four teenagers from the book of the prophet Daniel teaches that any faithfulness to God will be tested and will pass through fire. Also in this story of young people I see that they, before getting to Babylon, were taught spiritual principles, and being in captivity without any rights, they decided to remain faithful to God.

I think they were familiar with the story of faithfulness of their forefather Joseph, when he, being a teenager, fell into Egyptian slavery and decided to be faithful to God's principles and reached amazing heights in his life.

Our teenagers need an inspiring example of other people. Sometimes an insignificant testimony about someone's faithfulness to God unto death switches something in the child's consciousness, and they make a decision to be faithful to God in their life, no matter what.

God teaches parents correct principles in raising their children, He gives them wisdom and the needed light at the right time, writes new knowledge and principles of behavior into children's hearts, and then works with the conscience of growing children based on the knowledge they have received. Such children have more chances for a wonderful life with God than those who were raised by the street and computer games. Good seed will never bring forth bad fruit.

Yes, there are cases when teenagers who received good upbringing at home go into the world, but let this not be a temptation for parents to do nothing and not fight for purity of life. Although with each year the attacks of the enemy of souls become stronger and more dangerous, God's power also grants us more grace for victory over temptations.

Practical application in life of those truths that change life and thinking helps not only to know how good and wise the Lord is, but also to experience this from personal experience. Teenagers who are involved in missionary work or volunteer service for the benefit of other people acquire priceless experience of experiencing how one can bring benefit where you are now.

Sometime the experience of spiritual life and spiritual example of parents becomes the personal experience of their child, and answers to prayers replenish the child's treasury of trusting relationships with the Creator. Interest in biblical truths generates interest in the child's heart, and parents' love reveals God's love to the child. Communicating in a circle of believing and devoted people, the young Christian learns to value and distinguish the pure and holy. And a father's love for his mother and a mother's respect for her father visibly teaches what relationships between people should be like. It is always easier to imitate and follow the example from the life of close people than to invent something good oneself.

A grateful spirit in the family, absence of criticism and gossip, family worship services in a friendly atmosphere - all this forms in the teenager an awareness of belonging to the Heavenly, without which life loses meaning and purpose. Although it is difficult for us to imagine the beauty of Eternity with God, we know for certain that it will be something beautiful and desirable for the soul.

Confidential conversations, a joyful spirit in home communication, acceptance, love and understanding are the natural environment for the beneficial development of any personality, and the presence of such relationships in the church makes this gathering the most desirable place to be present and serve in it.

When we gather to share experiences and revelations received outside the church, and kindle with this the desire to serve in other people, then such meetings will be a life-giving fragrance unto life.

1. Please read Ps. 77(78):4-6; Prov. 1:8-9; 22:6; Rev. 2:10; Deut. 6:6-7; Ps. 118(119):9,11; Dan. 3:17-18; Rom. 8:28; Mal. 4:5-6, in light of this lesson.

2. What other verses from the Bible came to your mind?

3. What was revealed to you in this chapter?

4. What does it mean to be "a conduit of an evil spirit, not understanding what you are doing"? Have you encountered something similar in your life?

5. What does it mean to "write new knowledge and principles of behavior into children's hearts"? How does this happen practically?

6. What helps distinguish the voice of the Holy Spirit among the multitude of opinions and influences in the church?

7. What character qualities make a Christian example truly inspiring for youth?

8. What is more important for forming a teenager's faith: words or personal example of parents? Or both?

9. How does love between spouses influence the formation of children's understanding of God's love?

10. Why is involving teenagers in missionary work so important for their spiritual growth?

11. How to find suitable forms of service for teenagers of different ages and temperaments?

12. How does serving others help strengthen one's own faith?

13. How to combine biblical principles of upbringing with the realities of modern society and the educational system?

14. How do "answers to prayers replenish the treasury of trusting relationships with the Creator"?