Because I Said So!!!

Don't you remember hearing those words growing up? And it wasn't like you could actually hear them the first 2-3 times they were said. For some reason, those words had to be almost yelled in frustration, before the fact that you weren't going to get a real explanation actually sunk in.

I can remember as a teenager thinking, "I am NEVER going to say that to my kids!" YEAH RIGHT!!!! Are you with me?

The other day I spent about an hour trying to explain to my son why he needed to accept what I was saying just "because I said so." He couldn't grasp the concept... I shouldn't be surprised. I didn't either at his age. I wanted him to understand that sometimes we just have to accept authority without knowing the reasons for it.

But after some discussions with friends, some research I have been doing for a project, and a recent bible study... I wonder if that REALLY is a good, or even healthy way to respond to our kids. Especially when it comes to spiritual matters.

Our kids grow up being taught to trust us on every level. Even those four little words are an expectation of trust for our children to have faith in all we do. Just do it, "Because I said so!" Just trust God, "because the Bible says so." Just accept our beliefs are right, "because the pastor said so." Jonah was in the belly of a whale, "because your Sunday school teacher said so." Santa is real, "because I said so." Oops... first of all... is everything we are telling our children true? Secondly, do you know why you believe certain things about your doctrine, or the Bible?

Are you believing things, because someone "said so?"

I have recently started going back to Bible college and the one thing I love is that we have been encouraged to do as the scripture says in I Thessalonians 5:21 "Prove all things; holdfast that which is good." Do you make sure what you have heard on Sunday morning IS REALLY what the scripture says? Or do you just accept what the preacher says and go on?

Here is where this gets scary for our children. More and more, kids are being taught within the education system to prove theories, test judgements, have a reason for EVERYTHING they do and EVERY belief they have. They are literally being taught that they MUST "prove all things." It gets seriously more intense by the time they are in college and are actually scrutinized if they can not PROVE their beliefs.

Are we possibly doing our children a disservice by teaching them to accept the answer, "because I said so?" I know when it comes to parenting, sometimes circumstances just don't hold for explanation and kids need to learn authority. But I am talking about the beliefs and morals, the education on daily spiritual living. Are we teaching them to really search the scriptures and KNOW why they say and believe what we "said so"?

Here is an even more convicting question... what are you just accepting because someone "said so"? Are you being lazy and just listening to someone else? OR are you really digging in deep and obeying the scripture to "prove all things"?

As wonderful as it is to have spiritual leaders and mentors, we know that there are many false teachings in churches, just like there are on college campuses. How about being an example for your children now and teaching them how to search the scriptures and be able to prove their beliefs. Can you?