Renaissance Men

This morning I read a description I thought was appealing: ...young men without any physical defect, handsome, showing aptitude for every kind of learning, well-informed, quick to understand, and qualified to serve in the king’s palace.

Taken out of context, it would delight any mother’s heart (and gratify her ego) to have that said about her sons. There’s only one very large caveat. The king these guys were being chosen to serve was on the wrong side! Some of you might recognize that verse as taken from the book of Daniel, and it describes the four young men, the ones we know as Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who were Jewish captives in Babylon. I didn’t know for years these names we recognize were given to them after they were deported from Israel. (Daniel’s name was also changed to Belteshazzah.) The significance of that is the attempt to strip them of any association they might have with their former identity, to recreate a complete new persona. Their Hebrew names were a reminder of who and  Whose they were.

This is where the rubber meets the road (sorry for the hackneyed expression; just couldn’t come up with anything original at the moment): this is what challenges those of us who are trying to rear children pleasing to the Lord, but living in a Babylonian culture. The indulgent, irreligious culture we are in tries continuously to suck away the values we instill in our children. The mores of our society become a strong attractant to young people, full of potential.

Here’s where we moms have to dig our heels in. First, we have to determine where our allegiance will be: with what pleases the Lord or what gets the accolades of the world. Whose nod of approval are we really seeking?

Reading the description above sounds good to me. I think it could easily describe my sons. However, the choice is before me. Am I seeking the world’s admiration at the sacrifice of the One whose approval really matters?

Sure, I want it all. I want my boys to be sought after, admired, praised. But I have to know the same traits that make them beautiful in God’s sight and reflect His nature also attract the attention from the other side. There’s only one prayer I can pray for them. It’s the description given of those seeking God’s wisdom (Proverbs 3:4), Then you will find favor with both God and people, and you will gain a good reputation, and later of Jesus Christ Himself (Luke 2:52):  He increased in wisdom, statue, and in favor with God and man.  I pray they’ll be respected, successful, even admired...but at the same time, I pray I’ll be willing to give up all those things if it means compromising their identity with Jesus Christ. That’s not easy, and God knows I need courage to not only say it, but to mean it.