Who Is Responsible?

On the Canadian news right now there is a running commentary of a sad story. The kind of story that evokes great emotions from people, causing them to jump into action as volunteers, fundraisers and...search parties. The kind of story we hear far too often. The news story is of an 8 year old girl gone missing.


I would never confront the parents of lost children to cause any further pain to their situation. However, I can't deny the question in my mind.


"What were they thinking?!"


You see, this little girl (and, yes, 8yo is still a little girl!) disappeared as she walked home alone from school. It makes no difference if this family lives in a big city or a small town, children need to be supervised in this world.


It's not being overprotective - it's just plain wise. Why? Because...

The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: John 10:10a

I don't propose to live our lives in fear, on the contrary. We are to raise our children with the confidence that comes with God's soveriegnty.

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding. Proverbs 3:5

It is sad and maddening when young children are walking the downtown streets unsupervised. Not only are they left to meet worldly snares on their own, they are susceptible to their own sinful desires (eg. I double-dog-dare you to throw rocks at the cars).

So much of the world tells parents to sign away their God-given responsibility to train, educate and protect their children - national daycare, babysitters, public school, camps, after-school programs, etc. If we listen to the world's way, we could pass off our kids for days at a time and be considered 'good' parents while doing it.

So with society telling us to let others take care of our children; telling us that 8 year olds are old enough to be out alone; telling us that parents can share/give up the responsibility for our children...then who is responsible when they get lost?

Who is responsible when they start drinking/smoking at an early age?

Who is responsible when they jump into recreational sex?

Not the daycare. Not the public school. Not the babysitters.

No.

To paraphrase a line from an old movie, "children don't just get lost, parents lose them." And they get lost in so many different ways. Lost emotionally, lost spiritually, lost physically, lost emotionally.

Take a good look at your children. God has given parents a huge responsibility, and when we stand before Him on our appointed day, there will be no excuses. Will we be able to say we did our BEST? Will He say, "well done, good and faithful servant."?

Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. Colossians 2:8