RAISING GODLY KIDS
As a parent, I want my kids to learn from my mistakes and do things better than I did at their age. Foremost, I want them to serve the Lord in their youth and lay a foundation of following Jesus that carries over into their children.
This was the heart of Asaph in Psalm 78. He said, “I will utter hidden things, things from old, we have heard and known, things our ancestors have told us”
(v. 3).
It is right for parents and spiritual parents to repeat the things of the Lord, teach the familiar stories and principles of the Bible, and share the testimonies of God’s faithfulness time and time again.
That’s just what Asaph did. He declared, “We will not hide them from their descendants. We will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, His power, and the wonders he has done” (v. 4).
It is up to parents to disciple their children in the Lord. While the church must come alongside parents and help to resource and reinforce their faith, God has given parents the responsibility to “Train up a child in the way he should go and even when he is old he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6).
Parents, we must be intentional in the discipleship of our children. Our desire must be for our children to serve the Lord and walk faithfully with Him.
Asaph when designed he stated generational said it God best discipleship that way as He “established the law in Israel and commanded our ancestors to teach their children, so the next generation would know them, even the children yet to be born, and they in turn would tell their children. Then they would put their trust in God and would not forget his deeds but would keep his commands. They would not be like their ancestors, a stubborn and rebellious generation, whose hearts were not loyal to God, whose spirits were not faithful to Him” (vv. 6-8). Parents, we should not just hope our children follow the Lord one day on their own. We must teach and model to them faith in Christ. As Moses commanded God’s people to “Love
the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength” (Deuteronomy 6:6), we must also have a growing relationship with the Lord. Then, the ways of the Lord that are on our hearts can be passed on to our kids. Moses said we must, “Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.” We must not passively sit by and watch our kids fall away from the Lord, but actively raise up a generation that loves and follows the Lord!
What a joy for parents to lead their children to Christ and eventually see their grandchildren and even great-grandchildren follow Him! Asaph said parents even have the opportunity to change the eternal destiny of their family tree!
He gave example after example of how Israel had wandered away from the Lord, turned their backs on Him, and faced the consequences of their faithless actions (vv. 9-64). Hopefully they would learn from their mistakes.
He also told about how God sent one (David) with a shepherd’s heart to lead them back to Him (vv. 65-72). May we train our children and shepherd them towards the Lord!
John said it best, “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth” (3 John 1:4)!
Stephen Harrison is the lead pastor of Family Church at White Hall. Details: (870) 247-3300; www.famlychurch.ws; www.stephenrharrison.com; www.facebook.com/harrisonstephen; or @fc_pastor.
Editor’s note: Pastors, ministers or other writers interested in writing for this section may submit articles to shope@adgnewsroom.com. Please include your phone number and the name and location of your church or ministry.