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God's Precious Children
By Loren M. Chamberlain
I tried to teach my child with books. He only gave me puzzled looks. I tried to teach my child with words. They passed him by, often unheard. Despairingly, I turned aside, “How shall I teach this child?” I cried. “Come,” said he, “Play with Me!”
Children Need Godly Parents
In all that parents do they must be godly examples by word and deed. There is a very famous passage in the Bible that provides the central theme in the book of Deuteronomy. This particular passage helps us set a pattern that will enable us to relate the Word of God in our daily life to our children, and if it takes a lot of “Playtime” with our children, it will be well worth it to get this Godly message across.
Throughout the Scriptures, God emphasizes the important responsibility parents have in teaching the Bible to their children. Parents cannot pass the responsibility of teaching and parenting their children off to the Church and Christian schools. Eternal truths are learned best in the loving environment of a God-fearing home.
The Hebrew people were extremely successful at making their religion the heart and soul of life. One of the most important reasons for their success was that religious education was “life oriented” not “information oriented.” Within the context of daily life they taught their children about God. “These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up” (Deuteronomy 6:6,7). Here in these verses lies the key to teaching our children to love God. If we want our children to follow God, we must make God the most important part of our daily experiences. We must take the time to reveal and show God to our children in each and every aspect of life, not just in our church-related experiences.
Children Need Patient Parents
Our faith in Jesus Christ must be real, and if it is, it will usually prove itself at home in our relationship with those who know us best, our children. It is not easy to fool a child. “Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4). Parents should care gently for their children, even if the children are disobedient at times and unpleasant. Of course, ideally Christian parents and their children will relate and respond to one another with thoughtfulness and love. For some families it is a difficult lesson to learn, but submission to one another is a very important feature of family life. This will take place though if both parents and children learn to put the interests of each other above their own.
No doubt, parental discipline is important for the purpose of helping children grow and develop pleasing character traits, and certainly not to exasperate and provoke them to anger or discouragement. “Fathers, do not embitter [aggravate] your children, or they will become discouraged” (Colossians 3:21). The command for children to obey does not give parents license for harsh treatment. Children must be handled with care. They need firm discipline administered in love.
“Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord” (Colossians 3:20). Parenting is not always easy it takes a great deal of patience to raise children in a loving, Christ-honoring way. But frustration and anger should not be causes for discipline. Parents should act in love, treating their children as they would want Jesus to treat them and as Jesus treats the people He loves. This becomes a very vital point in the development of children. It is also important to their understanding of what Christ is like in His relationship with children. “He called a little child and had him stand among them. And He said: I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me” (Matthew 18:2-5).
Children Need Loving Support
Though they may not say so, children learn at a very young age that they are completely dependent upon their parents. Therefore, they need to know that their parents are unconditionally committed to caring for them for life. Children need to know they are important and loved by Mother and Dad, today, tomorrow and forever.
We as adults know this is the kind of commitment our Father in heaven has for us, therefore, we need to emulate God and express this same kind of loving commitment to our children. Everyone makes mistakes, as we well know, and that includes our children. They need to know, just as we do, that no matter what kind of troubles come their way Mom and Dad will not abandon them, but will help them through their trials. This does not mean parents should remove every trial, for that may not be best for them. But children do need to know they are loved and that no situation or trial can separate them from the love of their parents.
Harshness and angry lecturing is seldom effective when attempting to reach the heart of children. It usually sends the wrong signal. Whether perceived correctly or incorrectly it usually communicates to children they are of little value and in some cases worthless. Sometimes the subconscious conclusion teens draw from this kind of lecturing is that if they meant anything to their parents their parents would not be so mean to them. Most of the time, the calming effect of loving tenderness in the home will have the most positive effect and will go a long way in helping children understand the right and wrong of their behavior.
Jesus welcomed little children because they have the kind of faith and trust needed to enter God’s Kingdom. One of the most important and loving things we can do for our children is to introduce them to Jesus as soon as possible. Parents must also approach Him with childlike attitudes of acceptance, faith and trust.
Happy will those parents be who can say, “Here am I, and the children the Lord has given me” (Isaiah 8:18). i
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