When I Grow Up

While my 6 year-old son and I were driving in the truck, we were talking about the future. We happened to talk about how I had gone to college, and some of what I did to prepare for my work. He said that he was thinking about being a doctor or a teacher or something similar. Then he said, "I know what would be a great job...a pirate!"

I explained to him that piracy as he knew it was no longer available. But it made me think about a couple of things. He was interested in it because it has been promoted as glamorous in his viewing. This is because of fantasy, television, books and movies. Secondly, he wanted to do it because he didn't really know what it was about. If he really knew what pirates did in real life, I'm sure he would have changed his mind.

This simple story has an application to Christianity, for which many have a child-like perspective. Christianity has been understood by many to be nothing more than a feel-good experience. It has also been misunderstood by some in that they do not really know what it demands. This is apparent by how they attempt to take on the name, and yet they live as though they were not Christians at all. In fact, for those who attemt Christianity without knowing the requirements, you might say that my son has an equal chance of being a good pirate.

I hope, as we grow up, we will all know the difference.

"Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name." ~ 1 Pet. 4:16