The ABC's of Character-Building: A is for Angelic

A is for Angelic
And the angel said unto them, Fear not; for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. - - Luke 2:10
Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. - - Revelation 5:12

The lore of the Christmas season portrays angels as graceful, sweet-voiced songsters, dazzling peaceful shepherds on picturesque hillsides against a starry sky. No wonder we call our adorable children “little angels.” Unfortunately, the only time we do that is when they’re asleep!
The truth is, “angelic” is usually NOT the adjective that comes to mind as we navigate the chaos of a kid-filled day. Raising children has its ups and downs. We clean them up -- calm them down -- dress them up – put them down for naps – pick them up – watch them fall down again. And along the way we often get all worked up, and put our foot down!

Where does “angelic” fit into this blur of constant motion? How can we raise kids who have an other-worldly glow about them, when they have a perpetual layer of worldly dirt ON them? Actually, real angels are a lot grittier than we think. Going back to their recorded appearances in the Bible, we see that they are usually loud! And surprising! And even terror-inducing! Hmm, now that’s a description that sounds more like real children!

Angels in the Bible are geared up for action. They tend to show up in shining regiments, like an incoming army. Yes, they sing, but their songs are more like battle war chants than saintly descants. They often have flaming swords in their hands. One of them wrestles all night with Jacob. Another one actually hits Peter: he gives the famous apostle a good smack as he tells him to get up and escape from prison. (Now that’s an angel that boys can relate to.)

The Bible says nothing about personal guardian angels. Nobody in the Bible prays to angels for miraculous deliverance. On the contrary, angels are sometimes sent in answer to prayers made to God. Most often, though, they arrive to intervene in human affairs independent of human request, in times of God’s ordaining, as His chosen instruments. And one other thing we see clearly in scripture: angels don’t allow others to worship them. They direct all attention to God. In fact, they never fail to increase people’s perception of God’s mighty power and awesome glory.

So do we really want to raise “angelic” kids? Yes, but not the definition of “angelic” that means “looks cute, hands folded, never gets into trouble.” We want to help our children be like those real angels – focused on God’s might, God’s message, and God’s mission. Ready to act on His bidding and protect His beloved ones. Willing to “fly” to the rescue at key strategic moments, and proclaim good news where and when it is most needed.

Angels are actually God’s servants… and God’s action heroes! As we role-model focused, humble service to God in our day to day living, we can become the truest of action heroes in our children’s lives as well. We can show them, throughout life’s daily ups and downs, the intersection of the Eternal. What a gift to know, from young childhood, that what you see is not all there is… that God’s purpose shines inside the everyday.
Let’s seek to raise angelic children who can stand up for God’s principles and stare down the enemy with confidence. (Maybe we’ll hold off giving them those flaming swords, though. Toy plastic light sabers are enough of a challenge!)