I
saw a cartoon not long ago that the top half were parents asking child, what is
going on at with their grades? Then the side half is of today and the
parent asking the teacher the same thing. Roles sure have changed in the last
few decades in what we are excepting and what are setting as examples in our
home. And then we had our family pastor at our church lead
services and what impressed upon my heart is to follow:
Recently we had our family pastor at our church lead services and what impressed
upon my heart is to follow:
You
are the greatest influence on your children's lives. We, as parents, should be
the most influence they have in their lives. We should not be pawning them off
on school, coaches, youth groups, and friends. Parents are naturally the best
influencers.
What does your life rub off on them? Are you showing them that in order to have fun as an adult you have to go to parties with alcohol flowing, out to the bar with friends, broken marriages, bad friendships, anger, impatience? What happened to the land if milk and honey? Are you telling them that others are more important than them? Do you make time to meet friends at lunch, yet you cannot set down to dinner with your child?
What does your life rub off on them? Are you showing them that in order to have fun as an adult you have to go to parties with alcohol flowing, out to the bar with friends, broken marriages, bad friendships, anger, impatience? What happened to the land if milk and honey? Are you telling them that others are more important than them? Do you make time to meet friends at lunch, yet you cannot set down to dinner with your child?
Deuteronomy
6 says 4 Hear,
O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.[a] 5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your
strength. 6 These
commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. 7 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. 8 Tie
them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write
them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.
It is the parents primary responsibility to lead your children into a relationship with God . If you want it to be in them it needs to be in you. If it is not in you, you can NOT expect it in them. Parenting should never be do as I say not as I do. Your kids will model their lives after yours. Take a moment to seriously think about this question: Is your life really something that you want your kids living? If not, change it. It is never too late! Is your life modeling what Moses said in Deuteronomy to not only love Jesus but to love him with all your heart, soul and strength? How can you participate In Worldly activities and use that as an excuse for your behaviors yet expect your children to lead a Godly life? Imagine if we lead our children in living Godly lives what it would do for our homes? Our schools? Our churches? Our communities? Our nation?
It is the parents primary responsibility to lead your children into a relationship with God . If you want it to be in them it needs to be in you. If it is not in you, you can NOT expect it in them. Parenting should never be do as I say not as I do. Your kids will model their lives after yours. Take a moment to seriously think about this question: Is your life really something that you want your kids living? If not, change it. It is never too late! Is your life modeling what Moses said in Deuteronomy to not only love Jesus but to love him with all your heart, soul and strength? How can you participate In Worldly activities and use that as an excuse for your behaviors yet expect your children to lead a Godly life? Imagine if we lead our children in living Godly lives what it would do for our homes? Our schools? Our churches? Our communities? Our nation?
I must also add, that parenting does not stop when our children turn 18 and move out, we will ALWAYS be the biggest influence on our children's lives and we need to take that job seriously.
You still need to be a role model, no mater how old they are.
What is stopping you from making the changes to live a godly life? Your friends? Your family? Your image ? How about living it for God, after all He is the one who gave you life. The least you can do, is live it for Him.
When you leave this earth heading to eternity, don't you want what you leave behind to be the same as what you take with you??
Peace,
Love and EnJoy
From Beth: Beautiful, Diane. Bill and I were convicted early in our parenting journey to be our children's greatest ifluence. I told Matt it was all I could do NOT to stand up and cheer when he was preaching on this! Whether parents want to be or not, WE ARE our children's greatest influence by defalt. Sometimes that infuence isn't so good. Thank you for encouraging us to be the greatest and BEST influence on our kids whether they are big, little, or middle! I also appreciated how Matt didn't let other Christians off the hook though.....Come on CHURCH come along side parents as they strive to live a life demonstrating Christ's love. Teach a preschool class, be a youth sponsor or PLEASE commit to be a prayer warrior for our families! Thanks, Diane!
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