Deuteronomy 6:6-7 - "And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up."
I am in no way perfect. I mess up big time. Sometimes, I don't know who I am. I know what I want to do and yet I don't do it...right. Even though I may be a little too strict or a little too harsh, or maybe sometimes a little too relaxed and non-chalant, I still have a duty above all else to tell my children who God is. If I can convey what I know and who God is to me, maybe they will be better than me and be able to handle situations better than me. Hopefully, they will learn to have more faith.
Matthew 7:24-27 - Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.
Here is the first paragraph of the Early Learning section of Whitehouse.gov: "Expanding access to high quality early childhood education is among the smartest investments that we can make. Research has shown that the early years in a child’s life—when the human brain is forming—represent a critically important window of opportunity to develop a child’s full potential and shape key academic, social, and cognitive skills that determine a child’s success in school and in life. "
It is the will of our society to shape not only the academic aspects of our children's life but also their social and cognitive skills. Read Deuteronomy 6:7 once again. Also, read Proverbs 22:6 - " Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it." It is society's goal to start early education "beginning at birth and continuing to age 5." The sooner our children are sent to others to be taught how to live, the less foothold we play in their lives.
Family make-up is designed in many different aspects these days: 1) Two Parents - one who works. 2) Two Parents - both work. 3) One Parent - who has to work and also receives child support. 4) A Parent who lives with their parents.
I could continue to list the varieties but the point is that we have a choice of who we allow our children to be educated by whether it is ourselves, our parents, a babysitter, or a teacher. Regardless, it is our responsibility to mold the character of our children. As mentioned before, we are not perfect and we may never be perfect parents but we can make every effort in our lives to steer them in the right direction. People who work with children (Teachers, Pastors, Coaches, etc) have an ability to assist but they might have their own children to train up. We all have an obligation to raise our children ourselves.
It is our responsibility to discipline them. Proverbs 13:24 - "He who spares his rod hates his son, But he who loves him disciplines him promptly."
There is a difference between correcting with a loving intent and lashing out in anger. Colossians 3:21 - "Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged."
With everything we do and everything we say, we are teaching our children. I have not been a parent for too long so I understand there is much to learn; however, one thing I observe is that children imitate a great deal and try to figure out what it is their parents are interested in or not.
So we should be cautious in what we watch, eat, and say. If we don't want our children eating a "ding-dong", then we shouldn't do it either. If we don't want them gossiping and talking bad about others, we shouldn't either. If we want them to learn how to interact with others, we should allow them to watch the way we do business and treat others. If we want our children to be able to take action, we have to show them how!
The most amazing thing that Christ taught us is that it's not about what we say but what we do. Isaiah 29:13 - "Therefore the Lord said: “Inasmuch as these people draw near with their mouths And honor Me with their lips, But have removed their hearts far from Me, And their fear toward Me is taught by the commandment of men..."
The Old Testament was about telling us how to act. The New Testament was about showing us how to act. For Christ was the greatest example. In our discussions and writings, we know full well that words only go so far. If we observe what Christ has done, we can say, "Yeah! That works!" and we can in turn know what we are supposed to do. The same is with children.
Above all things we can teach by example is our relationship with God. If our children see our devotion, passion, and yearning, they will find interest. Even if they see us falter a million times, if they find us praying, reading the bible, and desiring for understanding, then that alone will inspire them. That is only if we treat them right and love them.
So don't leave it all up to somebody to develop your child. You know what you want out of your children more than anybody else. And, I know that sometimes it feels best to just give up. But don't! It is complicated from square one. Even if they don't get it right away encourage them every step of the way. When they see you haven't given up on them, they won't give up on you and they won't forget who you are.
So be that light in the darkened place, if not to the whole world, to your children. You have the power to pass that light along like a flame passes from candle to candle.
James 1:212-27 "Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does. If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless. 27 Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.
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