“Teach them to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are away on a journey, when you are lying down and when you are getting up again.”
As parents, we have an incredible opportunity to influence our children. In fact, studies have shown that the parents are the primary influencers until that child gets into elemenatary school. After the child gets into school, teachers and peers are also going to have roles of influence as well. The parents can still be major influencers for their children after they get into to school but it really does require a lot of parental involvement.
Our primary goal as parents is never to have “good kids” or even “well-behaved kids.” Our main goals as parents should be two-fold:
1. Lead our children into a vibrant relationship with Jesus. This is modeled as much or more than it is taught. Our kids are watching us and will usually do what we do, not what we say. If mom and dad love being in church, it is much more likely that their children will as well. If the kids see mom and dad reading their Bibles and praying, it is likely that they will adopt those habits also. More than being in church and more than reading our Bibles, however, is whether or not mom and dad are walking in love. When real love fills our homes, it has incredible power to mold our children.
2. Help them to become responsible adults. Number One will usually lead to Number Two. As parents, though, we have to be intentional as we raise our children. The word “discipline” is related to the word “disciple.” To disciple someone means to train them. Loving discipline, especially during the child’s formative years, will mold their will and set them up for success. On the other hand, a lack of discipline/training will set them up for failure. Are we intentional about how we are training our children? Are we training them to be “good” or are we training them to be responsible adults that can have an impact on their world?
Annie and I are serving the Lord in Brazil. We are training leaders and helping plant churches. Your gift will help us continue to impact so many lives. Just click here to get involved. Obrigado!
