An exert from allender’s how children raise parents. Hard question for the day - are we really willing to let our children take big risks and fail at profound and ghastly levels If God uses such failures to draw their hearts to him?

In a world with pressures to achieve, succeed, be comfortable, and competent, socially acceptable, and academically gifted - Our young people Are bombarded with the expectations of the impossible - perfection without any failures. Where failure is the ultimate shame. This perfection has been done only once in Christ, and many thought he epically failed during his time.

Failure.

Parents don’t want their children to experience failure, pain, harm - as a matter of fact if a parent were to say otherwise they would quickly be ostracized and possibly relieved of their parental duties today where self esteem and protection are so elevated.

But, what if. What if our pursuit for our children’s safety and security, or their protection from harm and pain - keeps them from knowing the one who redeemed this world and the world to come from these things which make this current life so hard, full of regret, heartache, and failures. What if our desire to insulate, to create the ideal bubble here, also insulates them from knowing the face of God as well. The safe and comfortable, we know, its inticing, and we have been raised to believe this is the best way. The safe and the comfortable in the church only teaches our children about behavior modification, conformity, and pretense. Where they are pressed with responsibility and morality to further stress success and achievement.

Are we not already relieved of the pursuit of perfection…the gospel of Christ informs us that we are all already failures … freeing us up to lay down the pretense and wear the mantle of grace.

Grace.

This gospel yells of the ultimate risk and danger of Christ and the cross, and shows how the passion of Christ in no safe terms pursued us through the pain and hardships of this current life to draw our hearts back to his.  A gospel that freely and recklessly gives us something undeserved and a gospel that calls us to give in the same.  Living a life of passion, sacrifice, grace, peace, and love.  And love can in very few definitions if any can be called safe and controlled. 

High risk, high passion and pursuit, if we were to put those terms in front of any venture we would also assume High probability of failure. Safe and controlled, risky and dangerous, what is the priority and what is our ultimate?

In the kingdom of America - a citizen competent and capable of giving back and achievement. Always gaining, achieving, rising up the ranks, and receiving the benefits of his work and dedication - a kingdom of personal opportunity and liberty.  In the kingdom of Christ - a follower so in love with their Savior and King that they receive grace at profound levels and give it in the same. Incompetent and incapable of perfection and success on their own terms, but connected to and knowing the heart of God and living for his glory. Messy? Passionate? Followers? 

The hard question invites me to ask…. What if this last allegiance calls us into danger and risk? And what if that calls us into failure and pain? And what if what is found is passion, wholeness, and recklessness to Christ …. Is it worth it? What is all this about?

Abraham was called away from his comfort, his family, his world and walked into the unknown - his life was chalk full of failure and mistakes, full of risk, adventure, faith, and the presence and blessings of God. His life was not neat, nor ideal, but his faithfulness in believing God, and walking each step through these risks and failures, was credited to him as righteousness. Romans 4.3.

Are we really willing to let our children take big risks and fail at profound and ghastly levels If God uses such failures to draw their hearts to him?  Will I let Benjamin? Will you let your child?