Parenting: September 16, 2014

TODAYS WORD FOR TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 16, 2014.

PARENTING

DEFINITION:

The rearing of children by parents; to bring up, raise, care for, train, educate, develop, nurture and cherish a child.

SCRIPTURE:

Discipline your children while there is hope. Otherwise you will ruin their lives. Proverbs 19:18 (NLT)

Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. Galatians 6:7.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

There are so many dysfunctional families today that we need to look at what God says about the responsibilities of parents. In Jeremiah 32: 18 we read that God will repay the iniquity of fathers into the bosom of their children. This unfortunately makes the children the victims of the sins of their fathers.

Jeremiah in these verses (17-19) speaks about generational cycles of sin. Unless someone in the family line makes a deliberate choice to change, sin and dysfunctional behavior will be passed from parent to child for many generations. This is just a confirmation of the principle of sowing and reaping.

But the opposite also is true. When parents pass down to their children standards and conduct that honors God and His Ten Commandments their children and children in future generations will be blessed of God if they stay true to what they were taught and learned.

Parents cannot expect to have good children if they are not good parents. Children must be taught right from wrong both by instruction and by example. Parents must be good role models because actions speak louder than words.

We are seeing today the sad consequence of generations of parents failing to live according to God’s will which is reflected in the high percentage of marriages that end in divorce. Typically, it is the father who moves out of the house. When the father is not in the home it leaves a void of leadership in the lives of the children. It is the role of the father to be the spiritual leader of his family and to shape their perception of God. Depending on the type of role model a father is he can either draw his children to the Lord or drive them away.

Sometimes the easiest way to understand what we are saying is to look at negative examples to make that point.  Here are five very typical examples for you to consider. (Taken from Charles Stanley’s “In Touch” magazine)

•    The angry, unpredictable father instills fear in his children and teaches them by his actions that God is a tyrant who lashes out unexpectedly.

•    A critical, demanding dad makes his kids feel inadequate. They see God as a strict task master who is never pleased.

•    The uninvolved or absent father sends the message that his children are unimportant, and both he and God are too busy for them.

•    A macho dad’s tough, uncaring nature leads his children to feel unloved and they in turn conclude that the Lord doesn’t love them either.

•    A fault-finding or abusive father conveys that his children are worthless and God is full of condemnation

The story is told of a little boy riding alone on a train on a hot day when the travelers were extremely uncomfortable; and the scenery was not too interesting as they passed through the desert of Arizona. A lady sitting beside the boy asked him if was tired of the long and hot ride.

The little boy smiled and said that he was a little tired but I do not mind it much. You see I love my father very much and he is going to meet me when I arrive in Los Angeles.

Sometimes we get a little tired as parents from the heavy responsibility of raising children. But isn’t it wonderful that just as this young boy was so excited about seeing his father at the end of his trip, we can feel exhilarated to know that all of the frustrations that we go through as parents someday will be all behind us as we meet our heavenly Father at the end of our road here on earth.

A man with a Christ-like character provides children with a healthy emotional connection, not only to their earthly father but also to their heavenly Father.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Proverbs 22:6:

Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.

PRAYER:

As a parent help me to be a Godly role model for my children so that by example my children are drawn to You. As I read Your Word open up the truth so I can demonstrate the love and compassion of God not only to my children but to others I associate with each day.