Did you ever wonder when's the best time to accept Jesus as one's savior? You may be evangelizing to other people or even members of your family now, and this information can be of great help to you. Is it best to evangelize to young kids or wait until they're teenagers? Or, will it be best to evangelize to people who are in their adult years? Let's find out.
The Numbers
According to the Barna Group, almost half (43 percent) of Americans accept Jesus as their savior before reaching 13 years old, 64 percent accept Jesus before they turned 18, 13 percent made the commitment in between the ages of 18 to 21, and 23 percent accepted Jesus after they reach 21 years of age.
What do the numbers mean?
Hearing these statistics is a blessing. This means that Christians are proactive in evangelizing to young kids, which is always a good thing. Starting them young is a great idea because these kids will have longer time to get to know God and grow with Him. Moreover, what these numbers also mean for us is that this is a blessed time to evangelize to the younger generation, too.
The parents' role in this
One more thing to note is that if young kids and teenagers are professing their faith to God at an early age, then clearly, this is Christian parenting done right. A parent's influence in the spiritual life of a child is immense. Laying the foundation for religious beliefs should start at home. And trust me when I say, it won't be easy. How can you teach a child something that is intangible? How can you teach them to just have faith? These are concepts that are quite hard for children to understand.
However, what you must realize is that introducing Jesus to your kids isn't just about making them understand these terms. The best way to teach them is through your own actions. If they see that you're kind to others, they will mirror that. If they see that you put into practice what you learn from church and the Bible, they will embrace that. If they see that you constantly pray to God, then faith won't be such a hard concept to understand. Whatever the age, when they see God in everything you do, they'll get it.
What about the older people?
Despite knowing these numbers, every Christian must continually evangelize to every unbeliever. As stewards of the Lord, this is one of our earthly missions. We must spread God's word and share the gospel with others. You can start with the people around you. In fact, it will be a disappointment if you don't try to evangelize to non-Christians in your family or your close group of friends. As a child of God, it is your duty to bring your sisters and brothers home.
Malachi 2:15 says, "Has not the one God made you? You belong to him in body and spirit. And what does the one God seek? Godly offspring. So be on your guard, and do not be unfaithful to the wife of your youth." One of the purposes of marriage is to raise godly children. This means that whenever you decide to introduce God to your kids, God will be in full support of this. And given the numbers of how fruitful it is to evangelize to the younger generation, it would be a shame to let this chance pass you by.
