As a teacher, I see so many wonderful things happening with
our children in their academics and athletics and just pure creativity.
However, I also notice that there is a rise in the not-so-wonderful things.
Therefore, I’m writing this post to ask the question: When are we going to invest in our children?
By invest, I mean teach them the skill they need as a
foundation to achieve well in school AND the proper social skills to successfully
get through life’s situations AND teach them God’s word that will guide them
through it ALL! They are our secret weapon. They carry on the legacy that we
set. Are we doing a good job of polishing that weapon???
Nowadays, it seems it’s all about “gettin’ mine” and we
neglect to take our abilities and wisdom and invest them in our children. Some
of us are so worried about what our children can do for us that we don’t even
teach them how to properly function first! Ask yourself this, how often do you
just sit with your children (no TV, computers, no electronics at all) and talk
to your children about serious topics, funny topics, encourage them, and about
how they are gifts from God and how their good works and faith in Him pleases
Him? How often? For those of you that do this very often, think about the other
families you know. How often do they? Do you feel like the time you spend and
invest in your children is more and more on the rare side in today’s society?
More and more children, CHILDREN, are committing suicide for
reasons that could be overcome by knowing and understanding the goodness of God
and that the race is given to those that ENDURE. We don’t teach our children to
ENDURE! None of us would make it if we didn’t depend on God in some sort of
way. Even those that are not saved, sanctified, and filled with the Holy Ghost
get to a point where they begin to turn to Jesus. They may turn back to their
sinful ways, but they know who to turn to when things get tough. That’s because
Jesus carries us through those tough times. THAT’s how we endure! We can’t do it without Jesus! We have to lead our children to Jesus.
That means we have to take the time to read and learn God’s
word for ourselves. Jesus IS God’s word.
Once you read enough of it, you will notice a pattern: it’s ALL about Jesus! “In
the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and Word was God. He was
in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him
was not anything made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the life
of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome
it.” (John 1:1) Jesus is the Word. And darkness has not and cannot overcome
him.
We have to teach our children that through Jesus, we are
more than conquerors and we have the victory. Ask your children: If you had to
play a really hard game against someone and wasn’t for sure if you were good
enough to win the really cool prize at the end, but if you lose your opponent
will badly beat you up, would you play? If it got really hard in the game and
you were losing really badly, would you quit in the middle of the game?
Then ask them: What if you had to play that same hard game,
but you already knew you were going to win no matter what because you had a secret
weapon for the game, would you play? If you start losing in the game, but you
still know you will win that really cool prize anyway because of your secret
weapon, would you give up in the middle of the game then?
We have to teach our children that Jesus is our secret
weapon against the enemy, and the thing is, He’s not even a secret!! We have to
teach our children that even when we look like we’re losing, if we keep going,
we WILL win the victory! We have to give our children this foundation. Once
they have this foundation and learn to depend on Jesus through their every move
in life, they will be blessed academically, in athletics, musically,
creatively, in whatever else they put their minds to and in being
well-mannered, well behaved, respectful children because you will have set that
foundation and they understand WHY they should do well in ALL that they do. We
all know the verse about sparing the rod you spoil the child, but the ESV reads
in an interesting way, “Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves
him is diligent to discipline him.” (Proverbs 13:24) Part of that foundation is
discipline. It’s not the easiest or the most pleasant thing, but if you love
your child enough and want enough for them to do well, it is a must. We have to train our children how to live
right! And TEACH them WHY certain things are wrong and why certain things are
right.
You have now invested your time, energy, and knowledge in
your children and have begun righteous generations to come! Psalms 127:3-4
says, “Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a
reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth.”
Your children are your arrows, your weapons! You point them in the right
direction and let them go!
Here are some verses to refer to:
Discipline-
Proverbs 22:6
3 John 1:4
Ephesians 6:4
Hebrew 12:11
Proverbs 23: 13-15
Proverbs 29:15
Proverbs 12:1
Ecclesiastes 7:12
Proverbs 16:16
Romans 12:2
Proverbs 4:13
Proverbs 16:3
Deuteronomy 11:19
Proverbs 18:15
Proverbs 10:14
Proverbs 9:9-10
Daniel 1:17 (this whole
story is powerful!)
Colossians 3:23-25
John 16:21-22
Matthew 18:1-6
Proverbs 17:6
Leviticus 18:21 (don’t
abort)
Jeremiah 1:5 (God knows
us before we are formed in the womb)
