Raised Good

"Just take me to Heaven now.  I deserve it."

The reality is this: kids raised in the church, who obey all the adults and live like we're told, are at a disadvantage because we don't see ourselves as sinners.

If asked, we'll say "Yeah, I'm a sinner."  But in our hearts, we think "What have I done that could be called a sin?  I haven't stolen, fornicated, gotten drunk, cursed, or worn inappropriate clothing."

We think this way because we're raised to be good little Christians.  It's not that our parents have done a poor job or even that our church has forced bad ideals on us.  Even with wise adults around us, we are still prone to this fallacy of "What, really, have I done wrong?"

We think we have less to be forgiven for because we were raised as good kids.  Sometimes we rebel as teens or stumble and fall later in life, and sometimes we stay good kids our whole lives.

The problem is this: if we don't have anything to be forgiven for, then why do we need God?

God is only useful to people who have made mistakes.  Who have regrets.  Not us church-grown kids.  We're good.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is the scariest mindset of all.

People who have had hard, wild, mistake-riddled lives are in this way better off: forgiveness means more to them.  Christ does more for their peace of mind, and their gratitude is real and vital and profound.

I want my children to make more mistakes than I did.  To take more chances.  Maybe if they do, they won't fall into this dangerous mindset.