Tell the World

We tell the world all of our greatest moments and others' biggest blunders.

In years past it was our small world gathered around the fridge to gaze upon spring pictures and report cards from school.

Our world then grew to include the mailing list of recipients for Christmas cards in the mail.

Now we've expanded our world to include hundreds of FB friends and Instagram followers. Goodness, even thousands of likes with the right tag line of trending events.

And so this weekend I will have the privilege to help my son tell the world of his latest news. To help create what I hope will become an unforgettable moment.

It was eight years ago when his mom told me she was pregnant and it was then that we began praying for the day that he would become a follower of Jesus. And a couple of months ago he made the decision to follow Christ.

While his journey is just now beginning, my hopes are that he will not waver in what I consider to be the most important decision in his life. That doubts will not creep in. That his flesh will not win out. That evil will not prevail. That Christ wins his thoughts and affections every time.

Many people have compared baptism to the exchanging of rings on a wedding day. While baptism doesn't save you, it does become an outward expression of inward change when choosing to follow Christ. Even so, a wedding ring illustrates the covenant relationship you have with your spouse.

However, just like a wedding band cannot be the guarantor of a abiding commitment to love your spouse, baptism is not the guarantor of a totally devoted life to Christ. Believe me, I know. But both are meant to serve as a constant reminder of the day when the vow of submission was made and meant to be cherished and cultivated for a lifetime.

I'm so excited to see that my son has chosen to take this step of faith to follow Christ. He has a family that loves him and wants to see him be successful in every area of life. But most importantly, to reflect a Christ-likeness in his life that is unparalleled to any other announcement or achievement he could possibly imagine.

He has a church family that has embraced him as one of their own. It is becoming a place where he can continue to grow and develop as he learns to worship and serve others in the context of our church community.

And I'm so thankful to my church family for allowing me the awesome opportunity to take part in his baptism. To create an unforgettable moment for the both of us. To be reminded again by this up close and personal encounter of the sacrifice Christ has made for us. God help me to be reminded that we are to put to death every old way of life because we have been raised to walk in a new life that can only be found in Him.

Son, when you read this I hope you know how proud I am of you. And how exciting it is to know that you have chosen to follow Jesus. Not a day goes by that you don't put a smile on my face. Not only are you my son but you are now my brother in Christ. And it is my responsibility and my privilege to walk alongside you to encourage you and help direct your steps on this journey of faith. We may not get it right every single time, but remember, we are both a work in progress. I get so excited when I think about the young man you are becoming. And as long as God gives me breath I want my life to be a life that gives you a godly example of a father and a friend. My prayer for you and me both has been and always will be that we would go where God leads, do what God says, and become the person God has called us to be.