Joy Dawson - Influencing Children to Become World Changers

INFLUENCING
CHILDREN
to become
WORLD
CHANGERS

JOY DAWSON

Copyright 2003 by Joy Dawson

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherexcept for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher.

Published in Nashville, Tennessee, by Thomas Nelson, Inc.

Unless otherwise marked, all scriptures are taken from the NEW KING JAMES VERSION. Copyright 1979, 1980, 1982, Thomas Nelson, Inc.

Scriptures marked TLB are taken from THE LIVING BIBLE (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 1971).

Scriptures marked AMP are taken from THE AMPLIFIED BIBLE: Old Testament. Copyright 1962, 1964 by Zondervan Publishing House; and from THE AMPLIFIED NEW TESTAMENT. Copyright 1958 by the Lockman Foundation.

Scripture quotations noted NIV are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright 1973,1978,1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishing House. All rights reserved.

The NIV and New International Version trademarks are registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by International Bible Society. Use of either trademark requires the permission of International Bible Society.

Scripture quotations noted KJV are from The Holy Bible, KING JAMES VERSION.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Dawson, Joy.
Influencing children to become world changers / Joy Dawson.
p. cm.
ISBN 0-7852-6364-0
1. Christian educationHome training. 2. Christian education
of children. 3. Discipling (Christianity). I. Title.

BV1590.D39 2003
248.8'45dc21 200201569

Printed in the United States of America

03 04 05 06 07 BVG 6 5 4 3 2 1

I am deeply grateful to the Holy Spirit, who has been my greatest source of inspiration and revelation while writing this book, and I delight to give the credit where it belongs.

My beloved, lifelong partner and best friend, Jim, has done the computer work from my handwritten scripts. I am very grateful for his encouragement and practical help.

My grateful thanks also goes to those who contributed their vital testimonies.

And it has been a delight to work with Victor Oliver, Kristen Lucas, and Beth Clark of Thomas Nelson Publishers.

CONTENTS

T here are many wonderful books on the market which cover the subject of how to successfully raise children. This book is not intended to add to that list. Rather, it is an attempt to present some Biblical priorities in the lives of those involved in discipling childrenBiblical priorities that will influence them to rise above the average and make a difference in their generation.

I dont profess to have all the answers. I am learning all the time. But what I share in the following pages really works.

S o youve been entrusted with the responsibility of influencing children! You can approach it in one of two wayseither by enduring the ordeal, longing for the day when theyre old enough to be off your hands; or by seeing the assignment as a fantastic opportunity to help the little tykes become world changers, history makers and shapers in their generation. Perspective makes the difference.

Someone has to have the privilege of helping to shape the lives of future outstanding scientists, doctors, government leaders, national and international spiritual leaders, missionary statesmen and pioneers, Nobel Peace Prize winners, brilliant philosophers and writers whose works shape the thinking of millions... and the list goes on. Why not you?

We must never underestimate the power of our influence on the young, positively or negatively. I wonder whether James Dobsons father ever dreamed that, by majoring on being an exceptional father, his son would be used of God to head up a ministry with positive global impact, a ministry called Focus on the Family.

Similarly, Ronald Reagan, the extremely popular former president of the United States, frequently referred to the enormous influence his godly mother had on his life. He often quoted Scripture verses from her well-marked and worn Bible, which he used and treasured.

As a Christian, being involved in training children on a regular basis is one of the most demanding, selfsacrificing, time-consuming ministries of all. It requires great discipline, especially if its related to parenthood, but not exclusively so. It has potential for heartbreak and disappointment. It represents great challenges and responsibilities. At the same time, the opportunities are limitless and it can become one of the most deeply rewarding and fulfilling assignments in the world.

The challenge and responsibility of the discipler is that the little disciples will have the greatest opportunity of frequently being exposed to the character weaknesses of the discipler. The opportunity is that if the discipler is real (the most Christlike), the potential for the little disciples to become real, is unsurpassed.

Pursuing God with intensity is contagious. When the children see that we are genuinely ruined for the ordinary, that becomes a strong incentive for them to follow suit. My husband, Jim, and I have proved it with our children and grandchildren.

Another major factor in effectively mentoring young disciples is to involve the children with us, whenever possible, in our hot pursuit of knowing God in order to make Him known. That takes time, prayer, creativity, enthusiasm, consistency, surprises and deep commitment.

We must understand that children are far more influenced by what a hot pursuit after the knowledge of Gods character and ways has done to make us real than all the talk about what we want and think they should become. Observe and obey all these words which I command you, that it may go well with you and your children after you forever, when you do what is good and right in the sight of the Lord your God (Deuteronomy 12:28, emphasis mine).

We should also reiterate to children that the privilege of pursuing and serving God is always higher than the price. If we say and show that were excited about pursuing God because were convinced that He is the most exciting Being in the universeand then in turn involve them in the same pursuitwe would wonder why they would want to choose anything else or less. Usually, they dont!

I was delighted to recently endorse a unique and fascinating book by Esther S. Ilnisky entitled, Let The Children Pray. Its fabulous and profound. Its all about how God has been and is using children as vital, historyshaping intercessors related to global projects. In their own words, they say with unabashed enthusiasm, Were not just cute! Were mighty prayer warriors. Y-Yes! A three-and-a-half-year-old child said, Praying is more fun than toys.

Esther has been used of God to write her book with authority because she has been encouraging and teaching young children to become powerful intercessors for many years and has seen incredible results. She and her team headed up the childrens section of the International Prayer track at the A.D. 2000 and Beyond Movement Global consultation on World Evangelism in Seoul, Korea. The global impact of the Holy Spirits power on and through those forty children cannot be measured.

But the main point I want to make here is that Esther was forever ruined for the ordinary from the time she was a child of three, when she frequently partnered in prayer with her intercessor mother to pray for global needs. Read and enjoy her story.