In our last article we observed that a good parent must cultivate his or her own spiritual life. Why should we expect our children to be spiritual and love the Lord if we fail to love the Lord as we ought to. Thankfully the Lord can work in our children inspite of us, but we do have an obligation to model genuine christianity to them!
In this article I want to emphasize a second point and that point is that Parents must understand that their children are a gift from God. God created our children. They belong to Him. We must never forget this. We sometimes get the idea that we own our children and we make decisions for them that seem to bear out this idea. Don't get me wrong, we need to make decisions for them while they are young, but those decisions should be done with a dependence on our sovereign God. We must also remember not to push our children to do things or pursue careers based upon our desires for them. We need to spend much time in prayer seeking God's will for our children and guide them in their decisions based on biblical principles.
Secondly, we must never forget that our children are on loan to us from God. He is the giver of every good gift. (James 1:17) Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. Children are a wonderful gift from God, but they are also an inheritance from the Lord.
(Psalms 127:3-5) Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.
The word for "heritage" means "something inherited." Children are an inheritance from God- God's blessing to you. What an awsome inheritance!! Do you realize that this is the only inheritance that you will ever receive that you could possibly take with you to heaven when this life is over. We have the privilege to share the gospel to our children and raise them to honor God!! Hannah understood this when she prayed for a child and God gave her Samuel.
(1 Samuel 1:11) And she vowed a vow, and said, O LORD of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the LORD all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head. (1 Samuel 1:28) Therefore also I have lent him to the LORD; as long as he liveth he shall be lent to the LORD. And he worshipped the LORD there. {lent him: or, returned him, whom I have obtained by petition}
Read the story in Genesis 22 about Abraham and Isaac where God tested Abraham's allegiance and trust by asking him to offer up Isaac as a burnt offering. Wow, can you imagine even the thought of such a thing. Now understand, that God was simply testing Abraham. Abraham so trusted God that he was about to offer up Isaac, when suddenly God provided a ram in the thicket for the burnt offering. Now listen to verse 12. God is speaking. (Genesis 22:12) And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me. Abraham loved and trusted his God, but he also understood that Isaac was God's and on loan to him.
In this article I want to emphasize a second point and that point is that Parents must understand that their children are a gift from God. God created our children. They belong to Him. We must never forget this. We sometimes get the idea that we own our children and we make decisions for them that seem to bear out this idea. Don't get me wrong, we need to make decisions for them while they are young, but those decisions should be done with a dependence on our sovereign God. We must also remember not to push our children to do things or pursue careers based upon our desires for them. We need to spend much time in prayer seeking God's will for our children and guide them in their decisions based on biblical principles.
Secondly, we must never forget that our children are on loan to us from God. He is the giver of every good gift. (James 1:17) Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. Children are a wonderful gift from God, but they are also an inheritance from the Lord.
(Psalms 127:3-5) Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.
The word for "heritage" means "something inherited." Children are an inheritance from God- God's blessing to you. What an awsome inheritance!! Do you realize that this is the only inheritance that you will ever receive that you could possibly take with you to heaven when this life is over. We have the privilege to share the gospel to our children and raise them to honor God!! Hannah understood this when she prayed for a child and God gave her Samuel.
(1 Samuel 1:11) And she vowed a vow, and said, O LORD of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the LORD all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head. (1 Samuel 1:28) Therefore also I have lent him to the LORD; as long as he liveth he shall be lent to the LORD. And he worshipped the LORD there. {lent him: or, returned him, whom I have obtained by petition}
Read the story in Genesis 22 about Abraham and Isaac where God tested Abraham's allegiance and trust by asking him to offer up Isaac as a burnt offering. Wow, can you imagine even the thought of such a thing. Now understand, that God was simply testing Abraham. Abraham so trusted God that he was about to offer up Isaac, when suddenly God provided a ram in the thicket for the burnt offering. Now listen to verse 12. God is speaking. (Genesis 22:12) And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me. Abraham loved and trusted his God, but he also understood that Isaac was God's and on loan to him.
God has given us our children for a reason. Do you really understand that? Children are not a bother, or a nuisance, or even an obstacle in our way, they are wonderful gifts from God. We have a responsibility before God to raise them according to God's standards and for His glory!! If you can understand these truths, then you will be more ready to raise wonderful children and be the best parent that you can be with God's help.
Stay tuned for part 3.
No comments:
Post a Comment