What is outsourcing? The dictionary defines outsourcing as the ability to
obtain goods or services from an outside or foreign supplier in place of
an internal source. If you are in business you know how important it is to
outsource. For example, if you were to examine the business owned by my
friend A.J Wright you would find that his company is a welding service.
You have no doubt passed by his business on HWY 65 and have noticed all of
the trailers on his lot. Trailers are built by welding them together but
the trailers (most) on A.J’s lot are not built by him. Why is that?
Because A.J’s business is a welding service and not a trailer
manufacturing business. A.J certainly has the ability to build one of the
best trailers in the world, however he has found that by outsourcing he
can focus on his welding service and sell trailers that someone else has
build. Outsourcing is a brilliant business move for A.J. While
“outsourcing” is a brilliant solution for business owners, it’s a terrible
thing when it comes to “discipling” your children. Yet “outsourcing” is
what a majority of parents do when it comes “discipling.”
I shared a couple of weeks ago about a father than came to me with his
greatest regret in life. He did what most people do in the Church. He and
his wife got their kids to salvation and then after that they turned the
discipling over to the Church. After the kids were saved, they got caught
up in the busyness of life. Their kids did sports and other activities. As
parents they had their own hobbies and careers. Life was so full and fast
and exhausting that there was no time in the home to study scripture and
disciple their children. So they did what most folks do…they outsourced
and made sure the kids were in Church when possible. What this man has
discovered is that God never designed for his children to be discipled
completely by the Church. God’s design was for he and his wife in the home
to get this done. Proverbs 22:6 says “train up a child in the way he
should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” One of the
best ways to train up a child is to place scripture in their hearts. Psalm
119:11 says “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin
against thee.”
Last Sunday evening we had 10 boys stand in front of the Church and recite
by memory Proverbs 3:1-6. This happened because the parents of these 10
boys made an eternal investment in their sons life to disciple and
encourage them. What about you as a parent reading this insert? Are you
“outsourcing” or are you getting the job done that God has designed for
you to do? What I can tell you for sure is this. Your kids will be gone
and raised in the blink of an eye. My reason for writing this weeks insert
is so that someday you won’t wake up realizing the greatest regret of your
life was not investing eternally in your child’s life. Start today in your
home being the disciple maker God has created you to be! Start today!