Welcome back…. It has been long time
It is one of those days when my thoughts are captured and
drawn to attention...to detail...yes...to reason out. Well, I am one person who
loves children...I have a strong liking for kids especially new born and as
they slightly learn to speak...I don't mind baby sitting and talking to a baby
who doesn't even understand what am saying.... I admire their cute eyes, small
figures, smiles. Very genuine smiles for that matter...You see, I am one person
who will smile to kids in a matatu. I deeply admire these small angels...I look forward to the day I
will be a mother...but occasionally I get lost in some f "fear" sot
of .....parenthood is one thing that
comes with a mountain of responsibility...
Apart from having to provide for physical needs to our children...we are
also to provide spiritual needs as God has called us to raise a godly
offspring... That’s what I want us to look at today…. Raising a Godly offspring
proverbs 15:20 "A wise son makes a glad father, but
a foolish son is a sorrow to his mother”. This verse hits my mind so
hard when I am lost thinking about motherhood. I don't want my son to be my
sorrow...but a blessing to me, and the world at large...My desire just like every
other parent is to see the seeds I sow in my children manifest in my children’s
children....to raise a godly generation...
But what does the bible say about raising a godly generation...?
Malachi 2:15 “And did not he make one? Yet had he the
residue of the spirit. And wherefore one? That he might seek a godly seed. Therefore,
take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously against the wife of
his youth....”
God is very intentional about family and
children...Children are a gift and blessing from
God...irrespective of how they enter into our lives.: Either through our own birth
or adoption (imagine we are adopted in God's family) ... God is very much
concerned on how
we raise our kids. he wants us to raise them to honor and love Him. 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
Teach our children the word of God:
proverbs 9:10
tells us that the fear if the Lord is the beginning of wisdom...Iif
we are to raise godly offspring...then we must teach our children the word of
God...only through this will they become wise and Give reverence to the Lord. Our
children should know who the word of God says they are...to know they are a
chosen generation, loved by God, a royal priesthood, a holy nation...they need
to know that they
are part of a great kingdom governed by rules and therefore they can't just
talk however they want, go wherever they want or even do whatever they want.
Pass godly attributes and lessons to our children.
In Deuteronomy 6:7 God urges the Israelites to teach their
children his laws and commandments everywhere every time...when sitting in the
house, when walking on the streets, when lying down and even when raising up...he
wants this law and his doings passed from generation to generation...without a
break. Eph
6:4 urges fathers to “bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the
Lord" this is to imply that as God trains us. Let’s train our
children as well.
Be role models.... God
wants us to be parents our children can imitate, learn the word of God, and
walk the talk. someone said “Children will not do what we tell them but what
they see us do” Therefore our words and actions should rhyme...we should not
say one thing and do the opposite...it may work for a short time. But with time
it will fail miserably.1 Corinthians 11:1 Be imitators of me, just as I also am
of Christ. We should be parents who can be imitated,
who live according to the will of Christ
Listen and respect our children....
the easiest way of raising a rebellious child is to always talk but never
listen... Colossians
3: 21 Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged...
(provoke ~stimulate a strong negative reaction in some one) yes. They are
children and at times they will miss a thing or two. We should not always make
conclusion...We should learn to listen to their side of the story...hear them out
and win their trust...Even our heavenly father in his glory and mighty. Still
called us-his children to reason together in Isaiah 1:18. we should let our children know they can trust us, and we can trust them ...if we learn to listen to or children,
they will learn to trust us.
Discipline our children...yes. The word of God in
Hebrews 12:5&6
tells us God disciplines the one he loves. Similarly, as
parents...because we love our children and want them to be better,We should
discipline when, where and how it's necessary. Whoever spares the rod hates their children,
proverbs
13:24 but the one who loves their children is careful to discipline them....
well. This is a strong verse that may be interpreted and misinterpreted. But whichever
way...lets learn to discipline our children in methods that works for both of us.
Pray for and with our children...we
are the priests and the prophet over our children. As a priest we offer
sacrifices for them and as a prophets we prophesy over their lives. We ought to
build the destiny for our children on our knees. Pray for them in
their absentia and also in their presence. We need to bless their lives, uproot
what we dislike in them and plant the seed we want to see in their lives on our
knees. We should teach our children to
build a relationship and confidence with Christ, for them to know that when
they make their prayers, God in heaven hears and will answer them in due
course.
Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go;
even when he is old he will not depart from it....
Shalom
