Jesus Isn't Like That, Either

“Mom. Christians today are so power-hungry.” My young adult son’s voice broke through the quiet of our evening walk. His words hung between us as I turned to meet his gaze. 

“It feels like people just use religion as a way to get power and influence,” he continued. “That’s it. There’s nothing true or honest about it.”

I nodded, fighting back a knee-jerk response to remind him of the faithful people we know and love — people who have walked with us, shared in our struggles, and lived with integrity. Instead, I prayed silently for wisdom, allowing myself to feel both the weight of his words and the amount of truth that they carried.

Silence stretched between us, then he sighed and said, “But you and Dad aren’t like that.” He shook his head, as if trying to reconcile what he saw in the world with the faith we try to live out.

“I hear you,” I said gently. It hurt to acknowledge that what he described was real, even if it wasn’t the whole story. “What you’re witnessing in the world breaks my heart too.”

I took a deep breath, then spoke again. “You’re going to have to wrestle your whole life with these questions. It’s not easy, and it’s something I struggle with as well. But it means a lot to know that you see Dad and me living faithfully. And on the hard days, when I feel brokenhearted and confused about these things, I hold onto one truth: Jesus isn’t like that, either.”

There’s a verse I’ve held in my heart ever since my children were young. Isaiah 54:13 reads, “All your children will be taught by the Lord, and great will be their peace.”

We do not live in a peaceful world. Every time we turn on the news, we see reports of chaos and calamity. In our own lives, our family has lived through church implosions and seen Christian leaders make unholy choices. I’ve come to understand that it’s mainly in the confines of our family life that we have the greatest influence on how our children will be taught by the Lord. Through life’s ups and downs, our most powerful role is to point them to Jesus. That’s how we lead them to peace.

I put my hand on my son’s back as we walked on. “Dad and I are so blessed to be your parents and walk with you as you grow. Now you’re stepping out into your own life, and you’ll face plenty of times when things get hard, or you face impossible choices yourself, or feel all alone. The evil and deception in this world will bring you to your knees. In those moments, pray you’ll feel Christ’s love pressed close to you and have the strength to seek it and let God lead you. No one else’s choices will matter at that moment.

I can’t always be with you, but God is. You are so loved, and you are never alone.”

 Questions for Reflection:

1. When confronted with the flaws or failures of others, or struggling with failures of my own, how can I refocus on the true nature of Christ?

2. In what ways am I modeling His love and integrity within my own family and community?

Amy Olrick’s work and writing have been featured in the Guardian, USA Today, and ChristianParenting.org. She and her husband, Dr. Jeffrey Olrick, are co-authors of the book, The 6 Needs of Every Child: Empowering Parents & Kids through the Science of Connection and join the Crossmap podcast monthly for the Real Talk for Parents segment. They share parenting resources at GrowingConnected.com