F A I T H A L I V E
A s wit h o u r i nt ell e ct u al a n d m o r al d e v el o p m e nt, w e m u st w a n t t o a d v a n c e f r o m o n e st a g e t o t h e n e xt. It d o e s n ot h a p p e n a ut o m ati c all y.
C hil d h o o d f ai t h A s y o u n g c hil d r e n, w e t e n d t o a c c e pt wit h o ut q u e sti o n w h at w e a r e t ol d b y o u r p a r e nt s, o u r t e a c h e r s a n d ot h e r a d ult s w h o m w e t r u st. T hi s i s w h y c hil d h o o d f ait h
i s al s o
c all e d ‘i mi t a ti v e f ai t h’, b e c a u s e it c o m e s f r o m f oll o wi n g t h e e x a m pl e s et b y ot h e r s. T h e e x a m pl e s h o w n b y a d ult s w e t r u st h a s a h u g e i n ti u e n c e o n
t hi s st a g e of o u r
d e v el o p m e nt. F o r i n st a n c e: •
• • f ait h
If t h e s e a d ult s s h o w t h at r eli gi o u s b eli ef s a n d p r a cti c e s a r e i m p o rt a nt i n t h ei r o w n li v e s, it i s m o re li k el y t h at w e will al s o t hi n k t hi s.
Alt h o u g h w e m a y n ot u n d e r st a n d t h e m e a ni n g of t h e p r a y e r s w e a r e t a u g ht a s y o u n g c hil d r e n, w e a r e e n c o u r a g e d t o s e e o u r r el ati o n s hi p wit h G o d a s i m p o rt a nt. Al s o, w e d e v el o p t h e h a bit of p r a yi n g re g ul a rl y.
If o u r p a r e nt s b ri n g u s t o r eli gi o u s s e r vi c e s w h e n w e a r e c hil d r e n, t hi s c a n h el p u s t o f e el w e b el o n g i n a p a rti c ul a r r eli gi o n.
D e p e n di n g o n o u r c hil d h o o d e x p e ri e n c e s, w e c a n d e v el o p v e r y diff e r e nt i m a g e s of G o d. S o m eti m e s, t h e s e i m a g e s c a n b e u n h el pf ul a n d mi sl e a di n g. F o r e x a m pl e: •
•
F o r s o m e of u s, G o d i s a n a n ci e nt, ki n d, g r a n df at h e r ti g u r e. H e li v e s s o m e w h e r e u p i n t h e cl o u d s. H e k e e p s w at c h o v e r u s a n d r e w a r d s u s w h e n w e a r e g o o d. F o r ot h e r s, G o d i s a h a r s h a n d a n g r y fi g u r e. It i s i m p o s si bl e t o pl e a s e G o d.
A d ol e s c e n t f ai t h B y t h e ti m e w e e nt e r s e c o n d -l e v el e d u c ati o n, w e a r e c a p a bl e of t hi n ki n g at a d e e p e r l e v el. W e b e gi n t o a s k o u r s el v e s i m p o rt a nt q u e sti o n s a b o ut t h e m e a ni n g of lif e. O n e e x a m pl e of t hi s w o ul d b e, ‘ If G o d r e all y l o v e s u s, w h y d o b a d t hi n g s h a p p e n t o g o o d p e o pl e ?’ E v e nt u all y, s u c h q u e sti o ni n g m a y l e a d u s t o r e s p o n d i n o n e of t h e f oll o wi n g w a y s: •
W e m a y g r o w st r o n g e r i n o u r r eli gi o u s f ait h. • •
W e m a y n ot w a nt t o f a c e u p t o s u c h q u e sti o n s a n d t a k e r ef u g e i n t h e c e rt ai nt y a n d s e c u rit y of o u r c hil d h o o d f ait h.
W e m a y p a rti all y o r e v e n c o m pl et el y r ej e ct a n y f o r m of r eli gi o u s f ait h.
• W e m a y b e c o m e c o m pl et el y a p a t h e ti c w h ol e i s s u e of r eli gi o u s f ait h.
t o u s (i. e. i n diff e r e nt) t o t h e
At t h e a d ol e s c e nt st a g e, t h e c o m mit m e nt of ot h e r f a mil y m e m b e r s t o li v e o ut t h e t e a c hi n g s of t h ei r r eli gi o u s f ait h c a n off e r s o m e s u p p o rt a n d e n c o u r a g e m e nt
i n w h at c a n b e a dif ti c ult 7 6
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