On the topic of parenting we have been talking about how there appears to not be as much instruction on raising children as there is on other topics in the Bible. And we ask the question why is that? We discovered that God placed the emphasis on adults growing spiritually and becoming spiritually mature. Then they could model that maturity and Christlikeness to their kids. So the big emphasis in the Bible when it comes to parenting is not so much how to raise children but to have parents transfer Biblical values to their children through modeling them in their own lives.
We talked about the book of Proverbs being loaded with wisdom to be passed along to our children and so that is a great place for us as parents to spend time. Just reading the Proverbs over and over again on a daily basis.
So lets look at another tip from the Bible that has worked for us that will help you as a parent.
Be confident. If you are a parent, be confident that as you pass along Godly wisdom, the things you do are going to work. The Bible says in Hebrews,
“Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful”
And the second part of this verse is the key so you can be confident. The verse goes on to say
“nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.”
So, if you are going to be confident, its going to be important that you keep a long term perspective. Realize that what you are doing now, is going to pay off long term. There may be days you don’t feel like its going to pay off someday. There may be days you think you are swimming against the current. Sometimes it may be hard to stick to the rules and you may feel like they are wearing you down. But trust in God. And trust that what His word says is truth. And that it works. When you hit those times, take a break, go aside and pray. He’ll give you the strength you need to face the everyday challenges of being a parent. Be confident! Be confident that if you follow God’s plan it will work. That the rules that you are making that the values that you are imparting are things that are important to you and to God. Be willing to work at it knowing and being confident that over time you are shaping them into the person that God wants them to be. Somebody that serves Him and loves Him. Somebody who makes right choices. Somebody who is a giver.
George Barna said, “The moral foundation of a person is set by age nine. And their spiritual foundation is set by age thirteen.” And some of us, if we are not careful, wait way too long to start setting those foundations.
Now we want to say something to the guys that are married to stay at home moms. What your wife is doing is so important. Sometimes, stay at home moms can get insecure, or maybe feel inadequate. The get caught comparing themselves to other moms who maybe have a corporate career or a business. We want to remind you men who are married to the stay at home moms to reaffirm the importance of what they are doing. That their investment is having a positive generational impact. That the future of your children is forever changed for the better because of what they do everyday! One of the reasons that our children have turned out the way they have is because of what Jodie did day after day with them. When they came home from school she was there. And then in the later years we of course homeschooled and that was such a huge opportunity for us to invest more into our kids.
And we want to say to the single parents out there as well. Be confident and know that what your doing is going to make a difference!
The Message Bible paraphrase says is like this. “At the time, discipline isn’t much fun. It always feels like it’s going against the grain. Later, of course, it pays off handsomely, for it’s the well-trained who find themselves mature in their relationship with God.”
