Are we preparing them?
Hebrews 12:11
11 Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.
What Are We Doing?
Are we helping our children prepare? Are we setting them up, introducing them to a good relationship with God that will carry on into their adulthood?
How do we do that? By disciplining our children properly and training them in the way they should go. Taking the time to properly discipline our children while they are young will reflect in the relationship they have with God as they grow older.
If we allow them to do whatever they want, when it comes time for the Lord to correct them, they’re not going to want to accept it. Improper discipline can be detrimental to a child’s relationship with the Lord. It can go one of two ways. On the one hand they won’t accept the correction from God because they were never corrected as a child and believe they have the right to do whatever they want to do. On the other hand, if we are excessive in our discipline out of fear or control, they will see correction from the Lord in the same way, excessive.
It’s Hard
Think of how hard it is for you, as an adult, to receive correction from the Lord. What kind of parenting did you have? The relationship that we have with our parents is where we’ll start out in a relationship with the Lord. He is our heavenly Father. Now, he can do greater things for us than our parents can, but it is still a parent-child relationship and that’s how we’ll view it.
What does that mean for our children? Are we taking the time to help them see things clearly? I know there are times when we try our best and our children just don’t want to listen. You do your part and let God handle the rest. Train them up as the Bible instructs how. Pray and ask God to help you do it His way and if they are rebellious pray for them and leave it in God’s hands.
I know that’s a lot easier said than done, but that’s what we have to do.
Ask God for Help
So, what are we doing with our kids right now? Are we letting them get away with being rude? Do we let bad behavior slide because we’re just too tired and exhausted and we don’t feel like dealing with it, or we don’t want to be too harsh because maybe we had harsh parents?
Does it go the opposite way and we tend to be controlling and overbearing? One extreme is no better than the other.
It’s About Them
We have to come to a point where it’s not about how we want things, but about what God wants. We need to parent biblically. If they start learning it now by the time they’re our age, it won’t be easy, but it won’t be brand new to them.
Deuteronomy 6:6-7, Proverbs 22:6, Ephesians 6:4
**Lord thank You for giving me the blessing and responsibility of being a parent. Help me to train my children up the way You would have me to Lord. Please convict me when I am not doing things Your way and allowing my flesh to guide me in my parenting Lord. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.**
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