It can be easy to look at Israel and wonder how they got so far away from the God who gave them the Promised Land – a nation chosen by God to bring the Savior of the World into the world. When we look across our globe and the nations around it – do we see a generation that does not know God? When a nation falls apart and becomes riddled with crime, disease, greed, selfishness, sexual immorality, and hate, it become easy to blame the generation who is living in such a way. However, it isn’t just their fault. Yes, they make choices and are responsible for those choices. But we also need to examine the parents who raised that generation. In Judges 2:10 we find a whole generation who didn’t even know God. Their parents had turned to idolatry and forgot the God of Israel who brought them out of Egypt and all the miracle He had done. The only way this generation could have not known God is because their parents neglected to tell them.
As parents, we cannot rely on school or church to teach our children. God gave us the responsibility for teaching them about Him. There will be times when parents raise their children as God instructs and a child rebels from that. Each person is responsible for choosing the path in life they will take. Yet God expects that parents make every single moment a teaching moment about God. When they discover a new bug, we teach them about creation. When they are hurt by a friend, we teach them about God’s grace and forgiveness. When they tell a lie, we teach them the 10 Commandments. Yes, church is important – but nothing compares to what our children learn at home. It’s also important to remember that children learn more by what they see than what they hear. So if you teach them lying is wrong, don’t tell a lie. If you tell them drinking alcohol is wrong, then don’t drink alcohol. If you teach them that adultery is wrong, don’t be guilty of adultery.
What is the cost of not parenting well? We reap a generation that does not know God and the works that He has done. We reap the world we are living in today. A world full of crime, disease, greed, selfishness, sexual immorality, and hate. As a parent, are you taking every opportunity to teach your children about God and how He expects us to live? Are you teaching them about His love for them? Are you living out an example for them to follow? How would our world be different today if we as parents took the responsibility of raising children as God expects seriously? We can change the world by changing how we parent our children.
God, help us as parents to diligently teach our children about you so that there is never a generation that rises up and does not know you. Show us every opportunity to teach our children about you. Help us to be examples for them to follow.Â
God, Love and Marshmallow Wars: This book contains 365 daily challenges for couples to strengthen their relationships to each other and with God. Couples will complete activities such as Scripture memory, conversation starters, relationship builders, learning about Biblical marriage, romance builders, personal reflections, and date ideas. Click here to purchase your copy. (This link will open a new widow and take you to Westbow Press’ bookstore.) Also available on Amazon and Barnes & Nobel. It is also available at Christian Book Distributors, Amazon, and Barnes & Nobel
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