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The idea of giving things up for Jesus seems rather quaint; not very fashionable these days. Certainly we are too good parents to give up our children to the Lord like Hannah and Eli did. But we want to give our children everything and sacrifice for them (we say). In fact, Americans do not give up as much for their children as they think. Genetic research indicates that parental love is a selfish, not a sacrificial love, for in loving our children we are loving our own genes, especially if we get them to conform to our agendas. We don't sacrifice much time. At least a 2009 study of the U.S. Department of Labor indicates that on the average Americans spend twice as much time on leisure a day as they do with their children. This lesson prods us to more sacrifice for our children, as compared to Eli and Hannah we are all slackers in willingness to sacrifice on that matter.
Sarah and Eli put Samuel in the hands of God. But we put our children in the hands of reality shows and violent computer games like Grand Theft Auto and Resident Evil 5 more than we bring them to the presence of Jesus in church or in discussing Bible stories. What John Wesley wrote over two centuries ago is still true: "Will not the things of the present world surround these children on every side, naturally take up their thoughts and set God at a greater distance from them (if that be possible) then he was before? What can be done to cure it? From the first dawn of reason continually inculcate, God is in this and every place... He gives us all the goodness we have; every thought and workday and work are from Him" (The Works of John Wesley, Vol. 7, pp. 91-92).
Nurturing our children to lives with all-encompassing vision of God is the sort of sacrifice Hannah and Eli made, and an appreciation of giving all we have, including our children's time to this vision of God, may just contribute to nurturing some Samuels in our families, maybe even turn us into Hannahs or Elis!
Sarah and Eli put Samuel in the hands of God. But we put our children in the hands of reality shows and violent computer games like Grand Theft Auto and Resident Evil 5 more than we bring them to the presence of Jesus in church or in discussing Bible stories. What John Wesley wrote over two centuries ago is still true: "Will not the things of the present world surround these children on every side, naturally take up their thoughts and set God at a greater distance from them (if that be possible) then he was before? What can be done to cure it? From the first dawn of reason continually inculcate, God is in this and every place... He gives us all the goodness we have; every thought and workday and work are from Him" (The Works of John Wesley, Vol. 7, pp. 91-92).
Nurturing our children to lives with all-encompassing vision of God is the sort of sacrifice Hannah and Eli made, and an appreciation of giving all we have, including our children's time to this vision of God, may just contribute to nurturing some Samuels in our families, maybe even turn us into Hannahs or Elis!
