When I christened my daughter, I made a vow to raise my child in the word of God. I have spent the last two years (plus the pregnancy) instilling in her the values that the Lord laid out for us. I remember talking to my in-laws about the Christening right after I gave birth to her. My husband and I expressed to them who we had chosen to be our child’s Godparents and they expressed to us how wrong we were.
“Why wouldn’t you make the person that got you two together your baby’s Godfather?” My husband, Robert’s, best friend introduced us and we have been inseparable since. We’ve thanked him but we could not put the raising of our child in his hands. Though he is a great person, he is not a Christian (his name is Christian but that’s the extent of it!). Of course we were told that, “we are taking it too seriously.”
There is nothing more serious than a child’s eternity. When a child is dedicated to God, the parents and Godparents vow to raise that child according to the bible. Why choose someone who has no intention of living that way themselves? You would not want your child going to a school with teachers who never attended college so why ask unqualified people to help teach your child about the way they should live?
Christening a child is not a tradition—God is not a God of traditions. Christening a child is a covenant. You stand in a church before the congregation, family and friends, alongside your spouse and your child and take vows. Sounds a little bit like a wedding, right? After the wedding, you don’t throw up your hands and go back to living as a bachelor/bachelorette. You merge your life with your spouse and form a union with that person. The same is required after the christening. “6 These words I am commanding you today must be kept in mind, 7 and you must teach them to your children and speak of them as you sit in your house, as you walk along the road, as you lie down, and as you get up.” (Deuteronomy 6:6-7) You have to become more focused on following the word, on teaching your child how to pray, and being an example for your child. Though you may be doing these things prior to the christening, you are taking a symbolic step to declare to God and the world that you are giving your child to Him.
It is very important to maintain your relationship with your child, God, and his/her godparents so that you don’t break that contract. Not only are the Godparents, teachers of the word, they are a support system. The child should know that they will always be surrounded with love and support. When preparing to dedicate your baby, carefully consider the people in your life that have all of the traits you want instilled as your child grows, including a strong relationship with God. “Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it.” (Proverbs 22:6)
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