Wondering If They're Ready

A few months ago, our Sunday am classes were studying and discussing the topic of baptism. Now for those in the churches of Christ, this seems like a pretty cut and dry topic. Baptism? Yes. Important. Essential. God told us to do it! Do we have to know all the reasons why? No. Not necessarily. When we put on Christ did we know everything we needed to know.

I chuckle at this and shake my head "no!"

So, at the end of this discussion about grace and baptism, someone brought up the question, "How do we know at what age children should be baptized into Christ? How do we know they are ready?"

The teacher brought in the very next week what he and his wife did for their daughter. I loved it and am putting it on here for anyone who would like to take this idea for their children or offer it to someone else who is struggling...and also bcs I am tired of keeping up with the paper and want to throw the paper away. :)

The teacher and his wife wrote down questions about God, Jesus, and Christianity for their daughter to answer. By her answers, and he read them to us, it was obvious that she was ready to take on Christ. And, now when she grows older, and wonders if she WAS ready "way back when", her parents can pull out the papers and she can read her answers written in her own hand and will know that her dedication to Christ at 8 was not instigated by her parents or the church or the idea of following her friends, but by her own heart. Here are a few of the questions (I only wish I had her answers for you, too. They would make you weep with joy):

1) Who is Jesus?

2) Why do people get baptized?

3) If you believe in Jesus and are baptized, will you stop sinning? What happens if you sin again?

4) Why do you love Jesus?

5) Why does the devil tempt people?

6) What does it mean to be a Christian?

I think that there were more questions, but these are the ones I was able to write down through my tears. :) Thanks for letting me post this. Now I can hopefully get that one small piece of clutter out of our house and begin working on the next piece! At this rate, all clutter will be gone in about 47 years!