As Christian parents, is it enough to take your kids to church every Sunday? Absolutely not. We need to find every opportunity possible to teach them about God. We need to start them at a young age of reading their Bible every day and learning how to pray. They need to lean about God through the examples that we set – how we spend our money, the words we use and the tones in which they are said, what we watch on TV, and how we react in rush hour traffic. The need to see mom and dad modeling a Christian marriage. Every moment of every day. That’s what God expects from us.

In Deuteronomy God said we are to be diligent about teaching them the ways of God. We should be teaching them at home, on the road, walking through the park, as they lay down to sleep each night, and the first thing when they wake up in the morning. We should teach them to recognize God’s blessing and to hear His “still, small voice.” We should teach them about tithing. We should teach them to be servant leaders. We should teach them to bear the image of Christ. We should teach them to be salt and light in the world. We should teach them to love their neighbors – no matter who they are and without prejudice. We should help them memorize Bible verses to hide in their hearts. We should teach them songs that honor and glorify God and teach them how to thank Him for everything.

Did you notice the word that is used here for what parents are supposed to do?  We are to diligently teach them to our children. Another translations says, “Impress them on your children…” When does something leave an impression? Let’s say you have some cast iron chairs on your deck or porch that have a pattern on them. If you sit on that chair for even a few moments, it will leave an impression on your backside, but quickly fade once you get up. But if you sit on it for 60 minutes, you’re going to be walking around with an impression on your backside for quite some time. The longer you sit, the greater impression it leaves. God wants us to spend time with him and his Word so that he may leave a lasting impression on us. The more time we spend with God’s Word the greater impression it leaves on us. It is an impression of God’s love, faithfulness, power and promises. An impression that reminds us of just how valuable our relationship with Christ actually is. When we model that to our children, it will leave a lasting impression on them.

For fathers, you have the opportunity and responsibility of leading your family and growing them spiritually. But good spiritual leadership doesn’t happen by accident. It requires a deliberate investment of yourself into the people in your home. It begins with your own spiritual leadership. You cannot invest into the spiritual development of your family if you are not first investing in your own. Husbands and fathers only lead well when they have paid careful attention to their character and ensure they are both teaching and modeling Godly character. You need to remember that they know you better than any other person, so you won’t be able to hide even small character flaws from them. Your life is their model, and they will be following your lead. To lead your family intentionally, you need to have a plan for yourself. Ask yourself the question: “Do I have a plan for my development and growth as a man, husband, and father?” If not, you better get one, because your leadership is only as good as your plan—and subsequently how you work that plan.

As a husband, everything you do to nurture your relationship with your wife will have a direct impact on the overall health of your entire family. How you love your wife, honor her, respect her, listen to her, and forgive her not only teaches your children how to treat others, but it also prepares them for their own future marriage relationship. Your sons are learning everything about how to treat a woman by watching you and how you treat your wife. Your daughters are learning about how a man should treat them. Ask yourself: “Do I want my children to have the same kind of relationship with their spouse as I do with my wife?”

As a wife, everything you do to nurture your relationship with your husband will also have a direct impact on your entire family. How you love your husband, honor him, respect him, submit to him, listen to him, and forgive him, teaches your children about God’s design for a Christian marriage. Your daughters are watching you and learning these vital relationship skills that she will carry into her own marriage relationship one day. Momma’s, ask yourself: “Do I want my daughter to have the same kind of marriage relationship with her spouse as I do with my husband?”

Parenting is tough. It’s hard work. It takes investing time, effort, and energy. That can be hard after a long day at work – but it’s an investment that has lifelong dividends. Even simple investments in the life of your children will demonstrate your love for them and show them they are important to you. In the dairy of Winston Churchill’s father, he penned, “Spent the day fishing with Winston. A day wasted.” Leading our children requires us to have an invested relationship with them. That means we can’t sit on the couch with the remote or game controller in our hand and issue commands or ignore the kids. Their life is directly impacted by the investment of your time. Be present with them in pursuits that matter to them. Engage casually with them. Take them for one-on-one dinners. Ask them for prayer requests and pray for them and with them. Extend grace to them when needed. Show them how to do something new, such as building something together, working on a car or a home repair project together. Maybe your something new looks more like teaching a craft or hobby such as crochet, sewing, baking, etc. Or refurbishing a piece of antique furniture together. Have a significant, age appropriate talk with them on a controversial topic and be sure you are showing them in God’s Word what God has to say on the topic. From time to time, ask them about their “high and low of the day” and discover their challenges and disappointments. If you find that spending time with them feels like wasted time, they are likely to spend their entire lives trying to prove their worth to you or trying to earn your love and respect. Is the non-verbal message you are sending to them saying they are waste of your time or that they are valued and loved and worth your time? Just as Jesus invested in his disciples by spending time with them gave them the skills they needed for the work He was calling them to do, so your spending time with your children will prepare and equip them for the life they will have.

Every parent messes up at times. But even the “mess ups” become opportunities for teaching children about God’s grace and forgiveness. It also empowers them with the skills for extending grace and forgiveness to others. Don’t allow your pride to keep you from saying, “Son, I was wrong. I need you to forgive me.” Then use your “mess up” as grounds for teaching them what God says and about how God forgives us. When you become vulnerable an real with your children by sharing your failures with them, they will soak up your values, beliefs, and faith.

No matter the age of your children, the years you have them at home to influence them are short. Before you know they will be grown adults and stepping out into the world on their own. You will never get those years back. You will never get a “do over.” So invest in them by modeling Godly behavior, developing them spiritually, and investing your time with them.

God, thank you for the blessing of our children. Bringing them up in the admonition of the Lord is hard work, but with Your help, we commit to raising them in the full knowledge of who you are. Help us to parent them well, teaching them diligently about your commandments and love for them. Help us to model obedience to Your Word  as we diligently train them every moment of every day in every circumstance. 

#parenting #parentsresponsibility

Below are some resources on Christian Parenting from Christian Book Distributors:

Shepherding a Child’s Heart, Revised and Updated – By Tedd Tripp / Shepherd Press

Many parenting books are based on hit-or-miss theories steeped in secular thinking. This one draws from Pastor Tripp’s seasoned experience as a father-and from God’s Holy Word. Grounded in the Bible’s divine plan for parenting, this guide defines your goals as a parent and provides the Scriptural methods for accomplishing them.

Praying Circles Around Your Children – By Mark Batterson / Zondervan

Become a praying parent! Based on his bestseller The Circle Maker, Mark Batterson shares five key lessons to help you become extraordinary influences in your children’s lives. With biblical insights and practical advice, he illustrates how to create prayer lists unique to your family, claim God-inspired promises for your children, and discover their individual life themes.

Parenting: 14 Gospel Principles That Can Radically Change Your Family – 
By Paul David Tripp / Crossway

In Parenting: 14 Gospel Principles That Can Radically Change Your Family, author Paul David Tripp explores 14 practical and gospel-centered principles that will help parents see their role through the lens of God’s Word and change the way they interact with their children. Principles include grace, identity, lies, authority, foolishness, and character.

Raising Giant-Killers: Releasing Your Child’s Divine Destiny Through Intentional Parenting – By Bill Johnson with Beni Johnson / Chosen

Discover the keys to successful parenting in God’s kingdom! The Johnsons help you gain the wisdom and practical tools to shape your children’s hearts, minds, and values. As you help them follow the Lord’s destiny for their lives, you’ll lead them to become the awesome people he created them to be. 239 pages, hardcover from Chosen.

The above links are affiliate links and will take you to Christian Book Distributor’s website.Wellspring receives an 8% commission for any item purchased at CBD through any of these links. Your cost to purchase any item through an affiliate link is the same as purchasing directly from CBD.

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Don’t forget to learn this week’s memory verse:

Don’t forget to learn this week’s memory verse:

 

1 Chronicles 28:9

Know the God of your father, and serve Him with a whole heart and a willing mind; for the LORD searches all hearts, and understands every intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will let you find Him.

 

Meditate and apply:

Will you commit to praying with us in 2020 that God will revive His people, renew our faith, and redeem our land? We feel such an urgency and desperation for revival. If God is moving your heart for revival, write your revival prayer in the comments along with your state or country. 

#knowGod #headknowledge #heartknowledge #revivalinAmerica #revivalin2020 #WCM