Some Biblical Help for Parenting

TODAY'S BIBLE READING:

Genesis 41:17–42:17
Matthew 13:24-46
Psalm 18:1-15 
Proverbs 4:1-6

BIBLE VERSE(S) FOR TODAY:

Proverbs 4:1-4 "My children, listen when your father corrects you. Pay attention and learn good judgment, for I am giving you good guidance. Don’t turn away from my instructions. For I, too, was once my father’s son, tenderly loved as my mother’s only child. My father taught me, 'Take my words to heart. Follow my commands, and you will live.'"

REFLECTIONS ON TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

As a child is growing up, they cannot imagine that their parents were once children, too. Since this is the case, they feel an incredible disconnect with their dad and mom. More times than not, they believe that their parents do not understand them and don't know what it's like to be a child/teenager.

In this morning's verse for today, Solomon had to remind his son that there had been a time when he was a child, too. "For I, too, was once my father’s son, tenderly loved as my mother’s only child."

Parents, we have had years to spend in God's Word and have gained much wisdom from our lifetime of experiences (a result of our good and bad choices).

However, the knowledge of our past failures can skew our ability to raise emotionally healthy Jesus-followers. Maybe in our younger years we made some horrible, sinful decisions – so we are much too strict on our children in order to keep them from making the stupid / sinful choices that we made. Or, we may go to the other extreme and are much too lenient on our children because we are living in guilt and would feel like a hypocrite to demand more of them than we do of ourselves.

This is why God's Word and the Cross are so vital to parenting.

God's Word gives us a clear understanding of what is right and wrong and shows us the kind of behaviors and mindsets that we should comply with and instill in our children.

The Cross reminds us that we, and our children, will falter every day. We will break God's laws and sin. But, when we drop to our knees, ask for forgiveness, repent (turn from the sin), and receive Jesus' cleansing, we get a fresh start. Grace is an absolutely beautiful word and something that God delights to lavish upon us and our children each day.

Parents, you know your children much more than they think you do. Use God's Word, Jesus' Cross (grace), and your experiences to prayerfully raise the next generation of emotionally healthy Jesus-followers.