Yesterday marked one of the greatest days of my life. I spent the day with Hannah, our 16-year old daughter. Michelle and I have valued our children greatly, in no small part because for years it seemed as though we would never have them. Michelle put the HOME in homemaker, and does a remarkable job of being the heart of our home. I take the lead in turning points, rites of passages, in their lives, and thus Hannah and I arrived in New York City Sunday night.
When Josh turned 12 I took him to Chicago where we spent time ministering with the Armitage Baptist Church and its great pastor Charles Lyons. We also took in a Cubs game at Wrigley! When he hit age16 we had a dinner featuring men of God ranging from Josh’s close friends and ministers to men like Voddie Baucham, who flew in from Houston to encourage him.
Hannah has been a bit different. She is a girl after all, and in case you did not know, boys and girls are different! So at 12 we got her a nice ring that has been precious to her, symbolizing the unending love of God. Now at 16, I took her to New York City.
We spent time with people who minister in the city. I wish more would expose their children to the cities. We met with Aaron Coe and his co-laborers at the Gallery Church in Manhattan. These men have led a growing church planting movement that has already spread to Baltimore. I wanted Hannah to hear the stories of their work–just Sunday a man who came to Christ and has HIV was baptized. for instance.
During the afternoon we shopped in Soho (she is a 16 year old lady after all). Last night we went to an elegant dinner at Smith and Wollenski’s, a famous steakhouse. Then, on a gorgeous night, we rode a horse and buggy around Central Park. What an amazing night with a remarkable young lady.
We returned to the hotel and I realized 24 was on still. You know, the Hour of Bauer. So many people like Josh, like me, like so many men (mostly) I know love Jack Bauer. Fine. But Bauer could not deliver last night. Not after the evening we shared. He proved remarkably anticlimactic.
I am afraid that sometimes we like Jack Bauer because he does heroic, valiant things for us so we can sit on our couches and do nothing great. This is an overstatement no doubt. But still–I want my children to see people in the real world doing remarkable things for causes that matter, like the gospel. That is why Josh and I will minister together to thousands of students in a year. That is why I took Hannah to Thailand last summer and New York this week, and why she will be involved in camps with us as well. That is why Michelle and I have loved to see our children involved in ministry while young. Michelle, who loves her children like no mother I know, has missed several of Josh’s birthdays. She will miss his 21st this year. Why? We will be away ministering to students in another state. We can celebrate another day. But our children know we value Jesus greatly. We have valued children over ministry for they are our ministry, but we value their involvement in ministry as well.
So 24 + 16 = 2morrow. Why? Because we will either expose our children at 16 to things that matter–like a young man she met yesterday who has to raise over 100K a year to live in NYC to plant a church when he could be serving in a large church in a safer place to raise children–or we will expose them to false heroes like Jack Bauer who are high on action and little on real adventure that matters for eternity. And I like watching 24. It just does not mach the real adventure of following Jesus.
One of the great marks of many I know today is how much they get this. I have taught the sons of many men of God. The greatest example is my president, Danny Akin. He and Charlotte have four sons, all in ministry, two serving with the IMB overseas. I have taught or in some way mentored or ministered with so many children of men of God while at SEBTS:
Nathan and Tim Akin (Danny’s boys)
Jess Rainer (Thom’s youngest)
Jonathan Merritt (son of James)
Will Graham (son of Franklin)
Caleb Coppenger (Mark’s)
I could name so many more, and could add the son-in-laws of many more as well from friends Johnny Hunt to Mike Landry.
Paul said this to Timothy in I Timothy 3:4-5: A minister should be “one who manages his own household competently, having his children under control with all dignity. If anyone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of God’s church?” I have watched a generation of men who can be defined as much by their role as parents as their office of pastor. I have often told my students that if you want to know what kind of person I am, ask my children. If they have no respect for me, who cares what people say who do not know me? They well know I am not perfect. Yet I think they will affirm both Michelle and I deeply love and seek to honor Jesus above all others.
So I will watch 24. But I will pray and lead and challenge my children to do more than sit on the couch of life while people around us race toward hell. I will take risks and step out and risk being misunderstood. I will expect God to move in ways that He must and only He can. I pray for a generation of children to be pushed to give all of themselves to the glory of God and for the sake of the gospel. I pray for a generation of parents who will challenge their children not to give their lives to a career but to Christ, no matter what their vocation. I pray for a movement of God to start in the home.
Thanks for sharing this Dr. Reid. I am one of your former students as well, and I hope I can expose my daughters (ages 8, 6, and 3) to some of the same things when they get a little older. We recently took them to SEBTS so they could see where Mommy and Daddy met and studied in preparation for our current ministry. They really like the gazebo behind Lolley – that’s where I proposed to my wife. One of the things my kids enjoy more than anything else is going out as a family canvassing a neighborhood, either handing out flyers to promote an event or doing a survey. My oldest daughter is getting ready to do a pretty big mission project with her Sunday school class for the homeless in our city. It’s all she talks about. I think it is extremely important to expose our kids to these types of things ASAP. Thanks for the post.