“BEHOLD, CHILDREN ARE A HERITAGE FROM THE LORD, the fruit of the womb is a reward.”
Psalm 127:3 (NKJV)
• Children are a heritage, a gift, from God.
- Children actually belong to God, He gave them to us as a gift or an inheritance.
- They are given to us (parents) to take care of and be nurtured for Him—He gave them to the parents on trust (Psalm 127:3; Ezekiel 16:20:21).
- "MOREOVER YOU [the Israelites] TOOK YOUR SONS AND YOUR DAUGHTERS, WHOM YOU BORE TO ME, and these you sacrificed to them [images or idols] to be devoured. Were your Acts of harlotry a small matter,
- "THAT YOU HAVE SLAIN MY CHILDREN and offered them up to them by causing them to pass through the fire?"
Ezekiel 16:20,21 (NKJV)
CHILDREN truly belong to God; parents are just CARETAKERS!
• Children are copycats; they mimic, learn and practice what their parents do—they take after their parents.
- Children are mainly influenced by parents at early childhood stage.
"AND FROM CHILDHOOD YOU [Timothy] HAVE KNOWN THE HOLY SCRIPTURES, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus."
2 Timothy 3:15 (NKJV)
“When I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you [Timothy], WHICH DWELT FIRST IN YOUR GRANDMOTHER LOIS AND YOUR MOTHER EUNICE, AND I AM PERSUADED IS IN YOU ALSO.”
2 Timothy 1:5 (NKJV)
• It is good to teach and train your children in the way of the LORD; however, whatever you teach or train them to do, make sure you do the same—if you want the teaching and training to produce the desired result.
- “THEREFORE YOU SHALL LAY UP THESE WORDS OF MINE IN YOUR HEART AND IN YOUR SOUL, and bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.
- YOU SHALL TEACH THEM TO YOUR CHILDREN, speaking of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.”
Deuteronomy 11:18,19 (NKJV)
• If parents want their children to live a godly life, they have to set the STANDARDS for them (Deuteronomy 4:9,10; 6:7).
- Since your children learn from you, they mimic you, and take after you; then you have to be circumspect, cautious, on how you behave—WHAT you do before them.
IF you want your children to be zealous for God, let that be seen in you.
IF you want them to pray and read the Word of God, let them see you doing the same. - Children will do what they see you doing, not what you tell them to do.
TIMOTHY'S LIFE was influenced positively by his grandmother’s and mother’s faith (2 Timothy 1:5).
• Use your faith to influence your children.
- If you are a liar, you deceive others; but somehow, you always tell your children to be truthful, they should not be deceptive in their dealings with others–the fact remains that they will do exactly what they see you doing, not what you teach or tell them to do.
- Every parent should first of all work on his or her relationship with God before endeavouring to train their children.
- "For you yourselves know how you ought to follow us, FOR WE WERE NOT DISORDERLY AMONG YOU;
9.not because we do not have authority, BUT TO MAKE OURSELVES AN EXAMPLE OF HOW YOU SHOULD FOLLOW US."
2 Thessalonians 3:7,9 (NKJV)
• You can only give what you have (Acts 3:6).
- If you are rotten morally as a parent, that will affect, influence, your children negatively (1 Corinthians 15:33).
- I have seen parents who want their CHILDREN live right, they want them to serve God, yet they themselves are not serious with their Christian life.
WHAT you do rubs off on your children.
- “But we were gentle among you, just as a nursing mother cherishes her own children.
- So, affectionately longing for you, WE WERE WELL PLEASED TO IMPART TO YOU NOT ONLY THE GOSPEL OF GOD, BUT ALSO OUR OWN LIVES, because you had become dear to us.”
1 Thessalonians 2:7,8 (NKJV)
• You will not fail in your responsibility, and you will not receive a blame on your children in Jesus’ name.
Peace!