Malachi 2:15 Has not the one God made and sustained for us the spirit of life? And what does he desire? Godly offspring. So take heed to yourselves, and let none be faithless to the wife of his youth.
It would be great, wouldn't it, to live in a country where people returned to you your wallet if you left it on the bus, or returned to the shop that you worked in to pay the correct amount if they were under-charged at the check-out. It would be fantastic to live amongst people who kept their word, who returned phone calls like they said they would; who kept their promises, from the small ones ('I'll meet you at 10 o'clock') to the big ones ('I promise to love and cherish you in sickness and in health ... until death us do part).
If we want our children to live in a land like that, we need to teach them to be people like that.
Christians have a great opportunity to change the world for better through the way we bring up our children. The Lord tells us plainly that he desires husbands and wives to bring up children so that they are godly. What does he desire? Godly offspring. God wants children to be loving, obedient, patient, peaceful (not stressed and anxious), joyful and a whole host of other good qualities. I want that for my sons too. If my boys grow up to be MPs, I want them to be honest in their expense claims, and I want them to be quick to forgive others their sins, if they are sinned against. I want them to be very slow to cast the first stone.
What do you want for your children?
Do you want them to grow up knowing and respecting their creator?
Do you want them to love their neighbour because their neighbour is made in God's image, and sent his Son to die for them?
Do you want them to have faith that Jesus Christ is God's Son - the perfect man - who died for their sins, so that they need not fear being found guilty on judgement day, but rather stand forgiven?
If you're a parent, consider the end product of your child. How do you want him or her to be when the 21st birthday comes? If we want our children to be goldy (and that's what the Lord wants), we will have to teach them how to be godly, we will have to model them godly behaviour, faithfulness, hard work, honesty, forgiveness etc...
Our children will not think honesty is important, unless we're honest.
They will not think Jesus is important, unless we show them he is.
They will not think going to church to worship God is important, unless we go.
It was a privilege to dedicate our third son's life to the Lord recently. My wife and I are grateful to God for his generous gift to us. But now the work begins.
Deut. 6:4 “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD; and you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. And these words which I command you this day shall be upon your heart; and you shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.
Mark 10:13 And they were bringing children to him, that he might touch them; and the disciples rebuked them. But when Jesus saw it he was indignant, and said to them, “Let the children come to me, do not hinder them; for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands upon them.
O that we would bring our children to Jesus every day, not just once a week, or at Christmas and Easter. Because when we bring our little ones to Jesus, he blesses them.
O that we would do our Father's will, and raise godly offspring.
Thanks for stopping by.
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