You and Your Child
You and your child
Today I share an ongoing burden as related to parents and children. As we live with, pray over and intentionally train our children we must draw a very definite conclusion:
Rom. 3: 23 – “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
Ps. 51:5A – “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity”
Mark 7:21 – “For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts…”
Jer. 17:9 – “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked.”
But then:
2 Cor. 5:17 – “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.”
Eph. 2:10 – “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”
2 Cor 5:21 – “For our sake He made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.”
1 Jn. 2:2 – “He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.”
Phil. 3:9 – “… not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ – the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.”
For child training to be hopeful, it must begin with the understanding that the child is capable of evil, wrong, selfishness. Then with that focus we:
Understand the poor behavior.
Realize the root of continuing poor behavior.
Have available the tool that offers hope – God, His Word and His way.
So, the child comes to love the One Savior and begins to choose to behave in a way pleasing to Him.
But to love Him, he must know Him. Your curriculum therefore will have one central focus. Who is Christ the Son, God the Father and the Spirit.
Key in child training
Know that your child was born a sinner. Know this. Realize how this affects how you train.
Know that the child’s hope is in Christ alone.
Train so that hope is offered in every situation of correction.
Make this training central in all you do: school, church, games, picnics, vacations, work, rest, worship and whatever else you do.
“Children obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.” Col. 3:20
Remember this: Children will want to please someone if they know he loves them and if they find him worthy of their love.
Bible Reading
Consider this idea for getting to know Scripture:
Choose a book of the Bible, perhaps Ephesians or Colossians.
Read through the entire book 4 or 5 times or if all of your children are older, read the entire book daily for a month.
Talk about:
What God told you from these pages.
How you can relate what you read to who you are and what you’re doing.
What you need to change in your own life and thinking.
Enjoy coming together to read and talk. Knowing God, through His Word is a great privilege we are allowed.
Read to draw attention to what really matters…
For example, whether a student is reading for assignment or pleasure OR your family is choosing a read-aloud, think, “Will this book address a need or serve as a reminder for how to reach a goal?”
A book you choose may also become a reference point for your family. When in a training situation, you may reference what you learned in a book that you enjoyed together. Such a book might be:
Jack the Conqueror by Mrs. C. E. Bowen. This is a Lamplighter book that shows lessons Jack learned as he worked to conquer his great enemy – self-will.
Truly it is worth a read!
Prayer
Please pray with me that I will internalize the great value of prayer. I know so much about prayer, but I do not see myself living with what I know. I could even brag to you about some of my resent prayer initiatives! But deep in my heart I feel the need to grow in this area. Join me, will you?
The root of every problem of this sort is probably the “need to know God better.”
In getting to know Him, I see prayer as a command and as an underserved gift.
One idea (among others) that I’m using occasionally to help me focus on praying purposefully is to pray God’s promises. We know that if God has already promised something it is good for me to pray that for someone and to thank Him for it or to accept it for myself.
For example: In John 12:46 it says, “I have come as light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me will not remain in darkness.”
Look at this promise, “As I might pray:
God, let me be a light.
Please Father, show those whom you’ve brought out of darkness, what a great benefit they are given.
God, many in the world continue in darkness, send them a way to see that You are light.
God, please may my speech and actions show that I know that I’ve been brought to light.
Perhaps a revival will break out in your family, church or community. I’m learning to pray more diligently for that for my family, church and community.
