Lost

Lost Children Need Their Savior.

By Clint FISHER, Dean of Students and Families

“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
(Luke 19:10)

The word “lost” has several meanings. It can mean displaced. It can mean dead. It can mean defeated. It can mean confused.

Three parables told by Jesus, The Parable of the Lost Sheep (Luke 15:3-7), The Parable of the Lost Coin (Luke 15:8-10), and The Parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32), help paint a picture of what it means to be “lost” in the way that Jesus is speaking about in Luke 19:10 above. And when we think of our children through the lens of these parables, we are able to see that our children's actions reflect a deep spiritual issue … they are lost.

As Paul Tripp says in chapter 7 of Parenting…

“Our children are not just disobedient; they are disobedient because they are lost. Our children do not just make foolish choices; they make foolish choices because they are lost. Our children do not just have trouble getting along with their siblings; they have trouble getting along with their siblings because they are lost. Our children are not just lazy; they are lazy because they are lost. Our children don’t just resist our authority; they resist our authority because they are lost.”

So, what do lost children need?

Lost children need:

1. Insight - Lost children do not always see themselves as lost. They need to be enabled to see their condition.

2. Compassion - Lost children do not need parents who are irritated with their lostness. They need parents who long for them to be found.

3. Hope - Lost children need to know that their parents are there to protect, support, and guide them. And they need to know that there is hope in Jesus and His work on the cross.

4. Rescue - Lost children need to be rescued. They need parents who seek to address heart issues as they parent and who pray that God will use them as He does the work that only He can do.

5. Wisdom - Lost children need the wisdom to know when to say “no.” They need parents who teach and model how to navigate situations with discernment.

And ultimately, lost children need their Savior. He came to seek and save the lost and calls us as parents to be His ambassadors, leading our children to Him. I pray that the Holy Spirit will empower us to move toward our children with insight, compassion, hope, rescue, and wisdom, just as our Heavenly Father does for us.