January 9, 2011

Love (For Children): January 6, 2011

TODAYS WORD FOR THURSDAY JANUARY 6, 2011

LOVE
(FOR YOUR CHILDREN)

DEFINITION:

Affection and liking of one another.

SCRIPTURE:

“Children obey your parents -- honor your father and mother -- fathers do not provoke your children.” Excerpts from Ephesians 6:1-4.

“Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of LOVE, just as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us.” Ephesians 5:1-2.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

This week we are talking about LOVE. Yesterday we shared our thoughts from the scriptures and real life experiences about LOVE between spouses. Today we will share some thoughts about LOVE between parents and children.

As we said yesterday we have been married for over 53 years. And in addition we raised six children and now have twenty grandchildren plus a grandson-in-law. This has given us a wealth of experience and God is now allowing us to share with you some things we have learned in raising our children.

We must begin by telling you that God has blessed us with six wonderful children, all serving the Lord and all raising their families in a Christian atmosphere.

We are aware that it is much more difficult to raise a family today then when we raised our family. But we know of numerous parents (our six included) and children that have followed the principles that we are outlining in this devotional and today they have Christ honoring Christian families. So we know it can be done and it is not just theory. BUT PLEASE REMEMBER: To raise a family today takes time, dedication, standing firm in your beliefs and lots of love.

Paul reminds us in Ephesians chapter 1 that we are dearly loved children of God and that we are to live a life of LOVE just as Christ loved us. As parents we are to love our children with sacrificial love just as He loved us and sacrificed himself for us. Many parents either do not understand this or just forget about this.

Even though for most families today, parenting has become a lost art, the Bible gives us guidelines on parent/children relationships that must be taken seriously and acted upon. There are guidelines for parents and for children and the following scriptures make it clear as to the responsibilities of parents.

• TRAIN: “Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6
• CORRECT: “Correct your son, and he will give you rest; yes he will give delight to your soul.” Proverbs 29:17.
• DISCIPLINE: “The rod and rebuke give wisdom, but a child left to himself brings shame to his mother.” Proverbs 29:15
• INSTRUCT: “My son, hear the instruction of your father, and do not forsake the law of your mother.” Proverbs 1:8.
• WARN: “My son if sinners entice you, do not consent.” Proverbs 1:10.
• ADVISE: “My son, do not walk in the way of them, keep your foot from the path; for their feet run to evil and they make haste to shed blood.” Proverbs 1:15-16.
• DO NOT PROVOKE: “And you fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.” Ephesians 6:4.

Look carefully at what these scriptures say. They have the specifics --- train, correct, discipline, instruct, warn, advise and do not provoke --- to help you raise your family. This is not an easy assignment because of the pressures of today’s society. You will not be aided by your child’s peers, their school or school teachers and probably not much in your church. It is a parent’s responsibility and you must take it seriously on a daily basis from your child’s very early age.

Now the children also have their responsibilities and parents must teach each child as well:

• OBEY: “Children obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.” Ephesians 6:1.
• HONOR: “Honor your father and mother, which is the first commandment with a promise; that it may be well with you and you may live long on this earth.” Ephesians 6:2-3.
• LOVE YOUR PEERS: “Now when he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathon (Paul’s son) was knit to the soul of David (his peer and cousin). And Jonathon and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul.” I Samuel 18:1-3.

A child needs to be taught that he has boundaries. These boundaries are compared by some as to be “Gates” and “Walls.” Ancient cities had them to protect them from the enemy and parents must set boundaries to protect their child from today’s enemies. Parents must be firm and consistent in enforcing the set boundaries. Raising your voice does not help, in fact it hinders the response needed. Parents cannot be afraid to say “NO.” When you say “NO” it is advisable to give a reasonable explanation. However children must be taught that when a parent says “NO,” it means “NO.”

As you begin 2011 do not forget to include daily in your life, a LOVE for God, a LOVE for your spouse and a LOVE for your child and/or parent.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in II Timothy 1:7.

For God hath not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and LOVE, and of a sound mind.

PRAYER:

Give us the wisdom, patience and love needed today to be a God fearing parent dedicated to use the guidelines outlined in Your word. Help us to love our children as our Heavenly Father loves us with a sacrificial love. Help us to teach our children to respect us as we respect them and to be obedient to us and to You. Give our children compliant hearts. Bring our children to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.

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