For many parents, little thought is placed into raising godly children. Most thinking child training is providing for their needs such as food, clothing, shelter and education. These things are necessary, but they will not raise godly, faithful children.
There are three basic needs in raising godly children and if parents will apply them, it will lead a child in the right way:
(1) Instill within your children the fear of the Lord. When I speak of fear of the Lord, I am speaking of awe and reverence for His greatness and holiness. If parents have little respect and reverence for the holiness of God, the child will pick up on that quickly. For instance, the nursery can become a place of visiting and gossip for many. While worship is going on, one by one you can see mothers/fathers take their child to the nursery. Children are trained that you act up, you get to go play. Mothers/fathers seem quit content to use this time as catching up on the lastest rather than use it to train in reverence for the Lord. At one congregation, older kids were in the nursery rather than trained to be still and quiet because of the Lord. The fear of the Lord is a heart response and it seems missing today. "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction." (Prov. 1:7)
(2) Provide your children with genuine godly love. True godly love is not an emotional love. We have natural emotional love for our children. What happens is that emotional love seems to what lead us rather than godly love. Godly love is a sacrificing love, a love given for the betterment of another. It does not run with emotions, but what is needed at the moment. Read I Cor. 13:4-7 and look at this love at work. Godly love means parents are going to have to walk in the ways of the Lord to know this love. For instance, a child can have a horrible teacher at school. That child may not like the teacher and want to rebel by not doing their work. Emotional love would go and 'stand up' against this teacher. Godly love would train the child to take a right attitude, do the work expected despite how they feel because that is the right response. Doing right in difficulties is what love would do. Our children need to go through these things because it teaches them to have the right attitude when there is no reason to follow through.
(3) Provide a peaceful family life. Many a troubled child comes from a home where godliness and peace are lacking. "Better is a dry morsel and quietness with it than a house full of feasting and strife." (Prov. 17:1) God is a God of peace, not turmoil. Peacemakers are sons of God (Matt. 5:9). "He who troubles his own house will inherit the wind." (Prov. 11:29) Children that find the home in constant upheaval, parents arguing, fighting or going their own ways, will have great difficulty coping with things in their own lives as they grow up. They will never know how to deal rightly in situations (which takes us back to points # 1&2). Where the Lord lives, calmness and peace exist. When husbands/wives live in harmony with the Lord by following His will (I Pet. 3:1-7), that harmony will teach and instruct children how to live. When there are disagreements between husbands/wives, disagreements that are solved God's way end up in peace (Heb. 12:14).
Children with godly fathers/mothers are extremely blessed. Children that have fathers/mothers that pursue the world and the worlds ways to solve problems will suffer great spiritual damage. The church will suffer in the future. People are always seeking answers to raising godly children. How about we use the word of God rightly for a start? The rest will take care of itself.
5 comments:
Thank you. This is very helpful and wise advise. So many of us, including me, were not raised as godly children and it helps so much to hear and be able to study the godly way. Even though I don't have children yet, I hope and pray that I can raise godly children when the time comes.
I especially like your point #1. We've never utilized the nursery at our current church, because during services it's just a riotous playtime for unruly children. Instead, though it's much more difficult, we keep Wendy in services as much as possible, and are trying to train her to take part to the best of her ability. It seems we're in the minority here in wanting our daughter to grow up with an attitude of reverance towards God - but Lord willing we can be an example for others.
Jeni Allen
Is there a good study guide on this topic for fathers to use with their boys to lead them in godly character development.
R Sommer...I found your blog and thank you for writing. One of the best things I found to help was raising my two sons. I used the first seven chapters of Proverbs, having them read it and us sit and talk about it. I know you aren't asking this, but too many parents are looking for a book that is a "quick" fix and there are no such things. As you study God's word and apply it to your life, things become more and more clear on instructing your children. Hebrews 12 is another good chapter to glean for insight on discipline of the Lord. I hope this helps. If you want more, just ask...thanks!
Thank you so much. I'm going to use this thoughts for my teaching in raising godly children.
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