Creating Windows – a thoroughly biblical idea
Parenting for Faith's first key tool is Creating Windows - the idea that when you allow others to see what your relationship with God is like, they are able to see what life with God is like.
This idea of Creating Windows – little glimpses into your life with God for others to see – is one that we see over and over again in the bible.
Jesus
In the gospels we see that much of what the disciples learned about a relationship with God came from just being with Jesus and noticing what he did. As they did life together, odd bits of learning happened here and there. They saw how Jesus took time to spend with his Father. They watched as he healed. They heard him talk about how to follow God. They saw Jesus stand up to the Pharisees and welcome those others despised or feared. They learned about prayer by hearing Jesus pray – in times of need, before making a decision, giving thanks, praying for others.
As Jesus created these windows into his relationship with God and how it impacted him, it gave the disciples a picture of who God is and how we can relate to him and rely on him. They learned from these ideas and examples and they helped them grow into confident and powerful leaders in the church. By making his faith visible, Jesus helped them understand it and apply that to their own lives.
Moses and Joshua
Joshua, who was described as Moses’ assistant from a young age, accompanied his master up Mount Sinai when Moses received the 10 Commandments; stayed in the Tent of Meeting where Moses met with God, and was at Moses’ side for 40 years being discipled. This would have given him incredible insights into Moses’ relationship with God that he would have learned from, enabling him, when the time came, to be a godly and able leader.
The Psalms
In the book of Psalms, we can see many windows created by David and others into the reality of a life with God. They talk about how to reach out for God when you are in trouble, what to do if you feel abandoned by God, the power of praise, the importance of repentance, why we should revere scripture and so much more. These windows, created so long ago, are still incredibly powerful today, giving Christians insight into a relationship with God and language for their own life with God.
Paul’s teaching
Paul regularly created windows into his relationship with God as a way of teaching the early church what a relationship with God looks like – in the good times, and the bad. He shares what he’s learned about how to find contentment in any situation, the importance of relying on the Spirit’s power, that struggles with sin are a normal part of a Christian’s life, how to reach people with the gospel, and how he coped with an ongoing problem in his life. Getting glimpses of faith in the messy days, as well as the good days, helped Christians see how God would be with them too.
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