We have an awesome responsibility and duty to perform, along with a magnificent joyful experience when we become parents of children, either by birth or from adoption. God gives us all of the instructions we need to make a success of child rearing.  Look in Proverbs 22:6, where we are instructed to bring up a child according to scriptural principals, the child will then continue to follow those principals later in life. Palms 127:3-5 speaks of how we are blessed for children are a gift from God. They are the fruit of the womb, the reward. Children are likened to arrows in the hands of a warrior. They can be raised up to fight the battle of the Lord to assist us in spreading the good news. The Bible without fault gives us the instructions that parents, foster parents and guardians are responsible for seeing that children have proper discipline and wisdom is imparted to them until such time as they are no longer dependent upon the parents.  Then with the armor that we as parents have given them from God’s word, they will not be swallowed up by the world and the sin trappings that the evil one has laid out in their path for them to stumble over. Luke 17:2 addresses this subject when it tells us that if we cause a little one to stumble we are in deep trouble. When we speak to children, and also to some adults, we must keep in mind that our vocabulary may be too extensive for them to comprehend every thing we say. Their own level of understanding may keep them from being in proper communication with us, therefore, it is incumbent upon us to make sure that others understand our words and meaning and we must speak on a level where everyone can comprehend us totally.  Most people will just let us ramble on with out being understood because they are not able to completely understand us. If they had understood us, they would have had a better chance to accomplish the request we may have made of them. We as adults strive to find a common ground with our children.  Children often say they are just shinning us on in order not to have conflict with us or they just do not want to discuss any thing with us because we do not let them tell their side. Are we too busy to find time to speak with them?   Do we take time to teach them the simple things like making their own bed or picking up their clothes? Do we in fact pick up our clothes giving them a good example? What kind of example do we set? Do we as parents assist each other around the house to keep it clean and orderly? What is our role as parents?

It is true that some of us are able to reach a common ground with our children at different ages. Our responsibility, first and foremost, is to be a parent.  Many times the observation is that some of us try to make friends with our off springs. Many of us are too busy or do not have the patients to coup with our own.  I have heard people say that it is easier to do it myself.  Proverbs 13:4 tells us that a lazy person wants to gain much but they get very little, while at the same time the attentive adult will prosper. Let us examine this statement.  Is it time we are concerned with the duty as parents.  Are we just lazy or do we not care if our children grow up helpless?  We have brought these precious little ones into this world so it is up to us to bring them up in the ways of the Lord. Proverbs 22:6 states raise a child in the way of our Lord and when he matures, he will remain steadfast in his belief. Would we want a child to be lost to the world on account of our laziness? Proverbs 19:19, the information provided for us is that a man that has very little patients and is an ill-tempered man must bear his own penalty. Can we do very much if we have little desire to see this gift from God succeed in this sinful world?   If we love God with all of our heart and all of our might, we will take this gift that God has given us, a wonderful child, and regardless of the obstacles that are put in our path we will teach that child how to overcome any of the world’s trappings that they may be confronted with.  We are blessed with this child.  Let us show this in the way that we raise them. There are many times that children need to see the error of their ways. Proverbs 22:15 address the fact that a child’s heart is rebellious.  Some sort of punishment may be the answer to calm that rebellion. Train the little ones up in the ways of the Lord and they will not go in the way that they would go if left alone in the allure of sin that is in the world. If you love them, you would see to it that they are raised up in the way they should go. Raise them up under a gentle hand and heart imparting to them every bit of knowledge and skills that we are able to muster up to round them off to become good and faithful servants. When we raise our children, we must do this in a manner that does not stress them to a point of rebellion.  Do not try to have the child reflect the things that we wanted for ourselves in our life and maybe did not accomplish.  Do not force a child to go beyond his or her own capability.  Do not stifle the natural talent that they would like to expand on. Do not over encourage them to partake in a function that you aspired to reach the top of. It can not be stressed enough that if encouraged they will blossom into what ever sport, literary endeavor, debating, or art class that attracts them and they will excel to the best of their ability with happiness not disdain.

Deuteronomy 6:6-7 we are commanded to have in our hearts the desire as parents to see our children thrive in the knowledge that we can give to them from God’s word. In order that they will find it easier to accomplish the goals that will be before them as they walk down the path of life hand in hand with our Lord. We must instruct our sons and daughters with the utmost persistence. We shall speak of them fondly in our conversation when we are gathered in our homes, when we walk amongst others, when we recline or when we rise. This sounds like we should lift them up in love every time we can, does it not?  Never, never should we punish in anger. Are we aware that we can talk and talk to our children and no matter what we say they will ignore us if they do not see the reflection of love and affection in us? Yes, if we do nothing but display an excellent example for them we will see them grow up with honor. When ever we establish what we expect from our children with the rules they are to follow then we must not vary. With the utmost of care, contemplate the impact that our rules will have on them.  This is a place where we should be extremely careful. Ephesians 6:4 explained that we are not to discipline our children in anger. We are to raise them up with guidance and discipline as unto the Lord our God.

Lamentations 3:27 if we are of decent hearts we will bear the burden of our youth. Any time that we may have a problem with our offspring that we perceive needs to be cured, is it possible that we should be looking within our own hearts to find the answer. The answer may lie there. Could it be that we ourselves are the contributing factor? Have we gone to the Lord and asked what He would have us do to help the child through the situation that we perceive that we are being confronted with? When we ask God for help, are we asking with all the wrong motives in our heart or is it truly for the benefit of the child and not some self-seeking accomplishment?  On the other hand, do we want solutions that will serve the purpose of God and our children? James 4:3 we ask but we do not see the results.  We ask for all the wrong motives. We do this to satisfy our own pleasure, not for the benefit of the kingdom of God. Would it be that it is our own pleasures that concerns us. We need to be on guard at all times for the tongue can cut deeper than a two edged sword. The tongue has more power than we imagine. It is a mighty muscle.  It has power to build up and power to tear down.  The spoken word can administer more pain to an individual than the whip. It can raise some one to the heights of splendor. Alternatively, the reverse is true it can plummet us to the depths of despair. James 3:8 it is impossible for any one to completely tame the tongue.  The tongue is a restless muscle within our body.  It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. We must be on the look out for what we say in order that it will edify others. It is for the good of our children that we build this solid base. When we exercise the attributes that God gives us through His love letters to us we then can pass them on to our children, sit back and enjoy the results of the power of the word of God and the wonders He has preformed in our children. The children are the future of this world that we are held captive in for the purifying of our soul, we must also realize that as we send our children to school to learn the A-B-Cs. we too are in a sense going to school to prefect our minds and souls. When we have graduated as children of God we will be in His presence forever, never to have pain, or concern about anything again. James 4:6-7 tells us that the one who gives grace is God. He is hostile to the proud, yet to the humble He pours out His grace. Therefore yield yourself to God. Resist the evil one with God’s word and he will flee from you. 

Every thing that has been said or printed in God’s love letters to us would not be any use to us if we the readers do not accept the grace that God has offered us. He has said that we must be born again. John 3:3 Jesus responding to Nicodemus said to him, most assuredly I say to you, unless a person is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." We may accomplish this by asking Jesus to come into our heart admitting that we are sinners, and we want to follow Him and stay true to His teachings. He is faithful and will give us the Holy Spirit to dwell within us forever until He comes and takes us to heaven in the presence of God. No one may enter the narrow gate with out Jesus. I will look forward to seeing you in heaven. Palms: 119:104-105 and since only your rules can give me wisdom and understanding it is obvious, that I harbor hostility toward all false teaching. 105 Your words are a beacon of light on the path ahead of me. They keep me from stumbling.

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Jim Brown