Parents, Don't Get Lost in the Temporary

    Don’t lose yourself in the temporary.

    Continuing our thoughts from last week, it is important that we, as parents, do not lose sight of our ultimate hope for our children: that they walk in the Truth (3 John 4). We want them to choose to do what is good and right in God’s sight, respecting the Bible as His Word, and honouring Him with their lives.

    We cannot lose ourselves in the temporary.

    The “want” of the hour may not matter tomorrow. The “absolute, must-have” item of the day will soon be forgotten and likely be replaced with something new. The “but everyone is going” event will pass… but the minutes, hours, days of pleading and begging may feel like an eternity and it can be easy to give in ‘just this once’ simply to bring about peace. Is that the kind of peace you want though? The short-term peace that lasts only until the next “Please, please, please, please, please!” erupts?

    Don’t lose yourself in the temporary.

    Maintain your focus on Jesus, concentrate on the eternal, and establish long-term peace for your children (and your home) by teaching them to look beyond the current and constantly changing fads of the world to what is real and worthy and never changing (1 Peter 1:23-25, Hebrews 13:8). When we provide our children with insights into God and His loving commands, showing them His manifold wisdom in providing boundaries and granting us immense freedoms to live a beneficial life we will be providing them with the means to build a faith, a focus, and a fruitful life before God, one of long-term peace and contentment.

    Not everything that our kids want is good or needful. Let’s ask for wisdom (James 1:5) to stay focused on Christ and remember our ultimate hope for our kids. Let’s love our children enough to love Christ more (Matthew 10:37) and together, follow His example in obedience to God, and serving others with love and good works.

“Be strong and of good courage…”

You can do it! So can I!!

Let today be the day!!

Loving Our Children Enough To Love Jesus More

"...he who loves son or daughter more than Me, is not worthy of Me." (Matthew 10:37 NKJV)

    Parenting can be tough. We are blessed with the stewardship of raising our children yet there are times when they resist the raising; when they push the boundaries we've set for them and try to establish their own rule. Attitudes and eye rolls suddenly enter stage left, doors get slammed, feet stomp, and volume increases (in their earpods as they try to drown out our voice of instruction). Now is not the time to give in to their demands - this is no hostage situation, this is a normal Tuesday night! - now is the time for wise, prayerful parental decision-making (James 1:5)!

 

    As Christians, we must always be focused on the big picture of life. As we raise our children we must keep in mind our ultimate hope for them: that they would come to respect and reverence God, happily follow His commands, and lead a faithful life before Him because if they have a true love for God in their hearts, all their other future decisions (how they treat others, where they work, whom they marry, how to raise their children, etc.) will guided by and made with respect to God and His Word.

 

    No matter what our kids ask/plead/beg/bargain/barter for we must keep our big picture hope for them in our minds and ask ourselves, "Is what they are wanting going to lead them toward God or away from Him?"

 

    It can be easy to fall prey to their emotional pleas simply to have peace but we must love Christ more than our sons and daughters because in doing so, we can keep our eyes fixed on Jesus (Hebrews 12:2) and show our kids, through word and action, that God's way truly is the BEST way!  We will replicate God's boundaries in our homes and live joyfully in the freedoms God has granted us (Galatians 5:22-23), allowing us to reflect God's love and prove His wisdom to our children.

 

    Are you ready to stand for Christ, even if it means having to say "No" to your children? Do you love your children enough to love Christ more?

 

You can do it! So can I!

 

Let today be the day!

Being Worthy of Jesus AND Honouring our Parents

“He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me…” (Matthew 10:37 NKJV)

    Continuing our thoughts from last week, we need to understand that Jesus’ words were never for the purpose of tearing families apart, His teaching is quite the opposite, even reiterating the commandment to ‘honour your father and mother’ (Matthew 15:4).

    So, how do we reconcile this statement, so that we can be worthy of Jesus?

    Jesus knew that His teaching and preaching of the kingdom of God would divide families. He knew that people would need to make a choice to keep doing what they have always known or to trust Him, believe Him as the Son of God and begin to follow His way.

    The same is true for us today.

    No matter what we have been raised to believe (or not believe), if we hear the truth of God’s word (Romans 10:17) found only in the bible, we will need to make the choice to either stay with what we have known or to leave that behind and put our whole effort into following Jesus. This may require us doing what is different from our parents, but it’s a choice that needs to be made.

    Jesus said if you choose to follow Me, you are worthy of Me. If you choose to follow what you’ve always known, you’re not worthy of Me.

    So how do we honour our father and mother when we have to follow a different path from them?

    Love and honour your parents enough to share the good news of Jesus with them! Be an example to them (Romans 12:1-2), take opportunities to tell them of the Truth found in God's word. Invite them to church services, to bible studies; show them God's pathway. Just as you had a choice to make, they will too. It may not be comfortable at times but keep loving them, keep trying to guide them to the Light with kindness, patience, and prayer. 

    For those who have been “raised in the church”, whose parents have followed Jesus’ teaching from its pure source, the Bible, it is our responsibility to make our faith our own – to “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:2:12). We need to not rely on our parent’s faith, nor their reputation of faith, but to study and build up our own solid faith.

“Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15 NKJV)

    No matter our background, if we have heard God’s word, we have a choice to make: Stay with what we have always known OR love Jesus enough to wholly follow Him. Oftentimes, it comes down to convenience or conviction and Jesus wants us to be convicted that He is the Son of God and that He truly does have the words of eternal life (John 6:68-69)!

       Are you making the choice of convenience or are you willing to choose a live of faithful conviction? Jesus desires you to be worthy of Him, please do what is necessary to choose Jesus! It is worth every sacrifice and every effort (Matthew 19:29)!!

Let today be the day!!