Average children, when properly trained, grow up to become
the movers and shakers of the world, partly because they earned their way
there. While rebellious children are absorbing all of their parents’ time and
gifted children are receiving well-deserved awards for their accomplishments,
average children are learning to succeed in a world where praise must be earned
and accomplishments result from hard work. However, children don’t become achievers
on their own. They need training that shapes the perspectives of a leader and
the habits of an achiever.
To gain some insight about average people, consider the
biblical writer Jude. In various ways, he could be considered an average child
who became an above-average, spiritual leader. He was a half-brother of Jesus,
but this special relationship did not make him an above-average kid. His
parents were average, blue-collar folks from Galilee who lived with common
means. Spiritually, he fought the same temptations that the average Jew battled
during that day. In his childhood and early adulthood, he and his siblings were
skeptical about Christ and unwilling to accept their half-brother as the
Messiah (John 7:3-5). But at some point in his life (we don’t know the
details), he accepted the truth and became not only a leader in the church, but
also a writer of the Book of Jude. It’s been noted by scholars how much Jude’s
epistle and the second chapter of 2 Peter compare. Both of these men, God-chosen
for leadership, addressed common problems that confront common people. Similarly,
I’ve always believed that hard-working average students often make the best
teachers. This is partly because they have worked hard to get to their position,
but it’s mostly because they understand the plight of the average student and
the best ways to overcome common challenges. Here are some principles gathered
from Jude that will help us challenge average kids:
Be aware of common
misconceptions and deceitful people. Jude warned us about “ungodly men”
(v.4) who propagate unbiblical ideas while “denying the only Lord.” Our kids
need to learn to think for themselves rather than believing everything they
hear and see on social media, the news, and movies. The best way to detect deception
is to know truth. Do our kids know what characterizes a godly person, what is
the difference between true and false doctrine, and what makes a person
spiritual? This training needs to begin early, and it requires consistency.
This is why children need spiritual training, not only on Sunday, but every day
of the week at home and school.
Be aware of the
consequences for not submitting to authority. Jude used several examples to
prevent the people from making the mistakes of past rebellions. References to
Korah (v. 11) and others are mentioned for their mutiny against God-appointed
leaders. Jude also warned people to not follow the example of those who “speak
evil” (v. 8) of godly authorities. There’s an important leadership principle
that can be applied here: No one can become a successful leader if they have
not yet learned to be a follower. No one becomes an achiever alone. Achievers
have been greatly influenced by someone else. Children become achievers when
they learn to discern the difference between deceivers and godly authorities,
treat these authorities with respect, and learn from them. These average kids
will grow to become high-achievers in their homes, churches, and communities.
Become a deliberate
person. Average people always follow and rarely lead. We need to challenge our
kids to be initiators. Initiatives that Jude presented include spiritual growth
by “building up yourselves” (v. 20), strengthening faith by “praying in the
Holy Ghost” (v. 20), “earnestly contend[ing]” as defenders of truth (v. 3),
“build[ing] a defense against deceitfulness” (v. 17), and “keep[ing] yourselves
in the love of God” (v. 21). If children become adults who love, serve, and
worship, it will result from a childhood of habit training.
So rather than allow kids to pass through their childhood
like average kids do – over-exposed to worldliness, addicted to their devices,
entitled to a life of comfort, and mindless about “fake news” and false
philosophy, challenge them to become thinkers, hard workers, and leaders.
