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In your home, who generally wakes up first?  The parents or the children? Well, if you’re like us, it’s usually the parents who wake up first, then struggle to awaken the sleepy kids. But every once in awhile, my kids have given me a wake up call, just at the right time.  Hi this is Doug Flemming, hopefully keeping you awake on this edition of Take Five, a broadcast from the Church of the Nazarene.  In our last program we began a series from Joe White’s book called “Faith Training.”  The first tip for training your kids to live Godly lives was to “get involved.”  A Faith trainer gets involved with his kids lives.  As a father, I agree with this, and I want to do it, but my job often prevents me from getting involved as much as I would like.  But my children recently gave me a “wake up call” that is helping me to change the way I prioritize my time.  Over the past couple of years I had been averaging about 1 major trip per month, so I was gone anywhere from 3 days to 2 weeks per month. I was missing a lot at home.  One day my eldest boy said, “Dad, do you really have to go away again?  Why can’t you be home more often?”  My son’s plea was like a slap in the face, and by God’s grace I have begun to make some changes.  And that is the second key to becoming a faith trainer.  A faith trainer begins and ends with grace.  We need grace to be the parents God wants us to be.  From a practical stand point, by grace we must say NO to some wonderful opportunities so that we can say YES to our kids. Sometimes we must say NO to our own personal interests in order to spend time with our children.  Even though I would prefer playing basketball or golf with my buddies, I must say no sometimes so I can help my kid with homework or play family games at home.  Take it from me, a fallen runner.  I was so busy trying to minister to other people that I missed many opportunities to pass the baton of faith on to my kids.  But now by grace I am learning to spend more time being a coach to my own kids. 

Today’s Music: Don’t It Make You Want to Go Home, Newsong

The first tip in becoming a faith trainer is to simply get involved, and the second tip is to live by God’s grace in setting your priorities. More than any material or social blessings that we could give our kids, ultimately it is far more important to pass on the baton of faith to our children.  It’s never too late to start being a faith trainer.  Start today.