What verses stood out to me today:
Proverbs 1:7-9 "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline. Listen, my son, to your father's instruction and do not forsake your mother's teaching. They will be a garland to grace your head and a chain to adorn your neck."
Proverbs 1:15 "my son, do not go along with them, do not set foot on their paths;"
Proverbs 1:33 "but whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm."
What did I learn from these verses:
I have been thinking about parenting a lot lately. My greatest desire, above all else, is that my kids would authentically know God and passionately follow Him all the days of their lives. I want them to know that He is everything. I want them to know that He is all that matters. I want them to know that He is the beginning and the end. I want them to know that they are nothing without Him and there is no good in them apart from Him. God has been showing me that "my" kids are His and not mine. Because I know who He is, I can honestly rest in what He has in store for them. My desire is that Trey and Shaefer be used in a mighty way for as long as they walk this earth, for His glory, not their own and not for mine. My prayer is that they would have an accurate view of themselves in light of who He is and in who He created them to be. He is teaching me to have a loose grip on "my" kids.
He has also been showing me that it begins in the home, with Alf and I as parents and as individual followers of Christ. I can TELL them these things about God, but if there is no ACTION in our lives the connection will not be made. I want them to respect and fear the Lord like in verse 7...that starts with us. Do I respect and fear the Lord? I want them to listen to our instruction and teaching like in verse 8. Am I spending the time I need with God so that I can pass along wise teaching and instruction? I want them to stand strong and resist when the peer pressure comes like in verse 15. Are they connected to God in a way that it is a heart issue instead of a behavior issue? Am I teaching them who God is and why He says what He says? I do not think I am being "too hard on myself" or allowing perfectionism to rule in this area. And yes, I know "God is in control." My point is that parenting is a HUGE deal! Parenting is an awesome responsibility and a honor. Ultimately, parenting changes me and refines me. I'm pretty sure God designed it that way!
No comments:
Post a Comment