Most of us have some regrets about our religious upbringing, but we do not need to build an altar to those regrets.  At least you had a religious upbringing!

 

I was raised in a church that sang the old hymns, taught parts of the Word of God, and church members were fine “salt-of-the-earth” people.  As I entered adulthood, I committed my life to the Lord and was baptized in the Holy Spirit which forced me out of my childhood church and faith.  There was no place in their theology for the more of God that I had experienced.  It took years to regroup, read my Bible diligently, and figure out a walk with God that made sense to me.

 

I look back on my spiritual upbringing with thanksgiving and praise that I was fortunate to have parents who loved God enough to take me to church and give me a spiritual foundation.

 

One of the saddest things in life is to grow up with no spiritual upbringing or faith and foundation on which to build your life.  What an empty life it must be to never have read the holy scripture, sung the beautiful hymns, or know how to pray and seek God.

 

If you have any Christian upbringing, be grateful.

 

In the 1980’s and ’90’s came the Charismatic movement.  This movement brought some life of the Spirit to dead churches but with that came some immaturity and abuse, especially with the Shepherding Movement.  This movement started out with good intentions, but godless pastors lost their way in their quest for control and power over their flock.  I regret the day I ever got involved in that movement.  The craziness of the Shepherding Movement almost derailed the faith of many including me.  After that experience, I had to regroup and start all over with my faith.

 

It is so easy to regret everything about our spiritual upbringing rather than take some time to be grateful for the fact we had something.

 

We all have family members who have never had any spiritual background and their lives are barren and empty.

 

Which would you rather have–something or nothing?

 

What I do know is that I had parents who loved me enough to give me a foundational faith and for that I will be eternally grateful.