"Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it." Q, Is your wayward son or daughter old yet..are they older right now? Are you still praying in faith for them? Do. In fact, be comforted, be strong in the grace of Christ...be real strong, be stable... be growing, and be spiritually mature.
Listen, that Bible verse above doesn't promise that your children won't ever go away from God, His precepts, His church, His way of living, nor does the Bible say that all kids that do go away or backslide spiritually will return to Christ. This above is a clear promise for born again believers to claim in real faith. It's for believing parents who have invested in them with God's word well. Please let the Holy Spirit guide you parents. No excuses..nope..none.
Some of the practical Bible training we are to lend is not about us just giving them ..the kids.. right head-knowledge to have, but it's more about what we parents can and need to add with that teaching, it's about how we are to live, what attitudes to display, and what we are to do is .."show and tell": Yes, live it and then teach it.. with, earnest prayer to the Father in Jesus' Name, with encouragement, understanding, honesty everywhere.. with Christ-like relations socially and even at work well displayed ..and everywhere caring for people. It's with discipline, with focused involvement, with regular truth-study, with pure affection at home, with listening well, with giving.. I mean in different ways, in wisely leading the open, with grace and truth kinda balance, with keeping your promises..even to your own hurt sometimes when necessary.
Please parents, value the people and the "things of God" much more than mere temporal things and helpful widgets, and more than too many hours at the office. Man, the Prodigal Son remembered the strong an balanced goodness, the tender love and beneficent grace of his masculine...not his feminine...dad. Yup! Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit ye like men, be strong. So then, love Christ 100% ..more than all others, and love Him without compromise. And then love their mom even more than you love those kids, men. Prioritize all your relationships loving the kids as you should, not as the world says to do. Hey, go see that crazy lost rebelling younger son in the pig's mud hole ..in Luke 15.. who finally got some good ideas, then repents inside, and then returns to his senses and to his father with the right words. Remember that the father in that passage did not run to that son over and over again, or even run too early like some wimpy uber-emotional, chic-ified, begging enabler sorta dad. But he did run to him at just the right time, and the he, the father, forgave him from the heart. And then the father received this formerly erroring offspring (you know, that idiotic-acting hurtful party animal son who earlier thought he was so entitled to get more from dad). The acted undignified by running (men in the culture just didn't do that) and you know he ran all out at just the right time to hug and kiss and welcome him home. He also had some new rags for him (probably smelled rank-pork-horrific) - he gave him a robe, a ring, and some nice kicks (shoes). We've all (including dads) committed sins of the flesh and of the spirit, so there's really no room for self-righteousness or maintaining "a sophisticated or dignified look" at all. But fathers really want to be givers to their sons when their heart and spirit is right, when they have become teachable by God. Therefore, parent, do keep praying for your kids. Don't stop. Fight the good fight of faith, because if you don't Satan and his buds will fight for them..and probably already has been. If your kids..if he or she..is still sucking air today, there is reason for hope and it's too early to cease believing.
"So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets." Matthew 7:12
"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." Deuteronomy 6:7
"The family should be a closely knit group. The home should be a self-contained shelter of security; a kind of school where life's basic lessons are taught; and a kind of church where God is honored; a place where wholesome recreation and simple pleasures are enjoyed." ~ Billy Graham
Parents, don't let yourself get disheartened at all. Just continue to be real with JOY in fellowship with your first-love, or.. start to become real. Kids can smell a fake a mile off. You can't change the past and if you've blown it, believer, no condo (zero condemnation for you). Just do your best today. Do it again tomorrow, just like your loving heavenly Father does with His children.
A child needs to see godly authority very balanced and consistantly displayed. Yes with both love and discipline in there, with grace and truth, with humble godly deeds and God's own words too. God showed us His balance connected with Authority when He sent Jesus here. Kids need to be warmly hugged and unhugged. You know what I mean. The hug clearly teach him or her to know that he or she is accepted, loved, and very valuable. God values them and you. The unhug if you will, lets him or her know that they are viable and have some duties before them. If you're always shoving your child away, too busy...hey stop it. They might cling to you for more love with insecurity..or might end up walking away forever bitter at you. God doesn't do that with you does He? No, but He will take time for you and will listen carefully. If you're always holding your child tight and closer, they might cling to you out of fear of what's out there..or just get really bored with all that mushy kinda stuff. Don't be merely religious, be normal in Jesus Christ instead. facebook.com/shareJesus
