I have lately heard many concerned Christian parents who are struggling to guide their children. The children range in age from four to the mid teens. This concern has come from parents who love God very much and want their children to love and follow Him. They are watching with trepidation as their children grow and begin to express some less than godly character traits. It happens in all our families I think, this quest to "test the other way."
As our children grow, we realize it isn't as simple to mold their behavior and character as it used to be when they were young. Our discipline is no longer readily accepted, and we sometimes see a hardness growing as they are confronted with wrongs. How we handle that hardness that tries to develop is all-important. It will, in part, help determine whether the door will stay open or slam shut to God's work in our children's lives through the years ahead.
In addition, we are trying to raise our children to be godly in a post-Christian culture. To some extent, parents used to have the culture's support to help mold their children. Today there are contrary values being lived out all around us. This requires new strategies for child-rearing. How do we deal with those temptations that very well may look attractive to our kids? Lectures don't do it. Even with programs like D.A.R.E. (Drug Awareness...), many teens, including some who go to church regularly take drugs, and commit acts of violence towards themselves and others. So what can Christians do besides discipline and moralize? I want to encourage each parent who is wanting God's wisdom and direction in this area that God loves you and your family very much. He doesn't desire to keep His will from you. He promises that if you ask, seek, and knock that you will receive, find, and that the door will be opened.
As I pray for all our families (yes, I still have concerns about our guys), I keep hearing that our generation has lost a simple, childlike understanding of some godly principles that when understood rightly will help us apply His Word very practically to our lives. These principles are still a part of the Christian doctrine we believe and try to practice, but for the most part we don't know how to make them live for our families.
Without a good understanding of these principles, no matter how many good Christian parenting books we read, they won't have the results within our families that we would hope. In this section I want to go through these principles as the Lord leads, and share with you some examples and illustrations. I pray that God bless you with His understanding and grace to seek Him about your own family. His is a living way, and it will plant seeds of life in your children that will in due time produce a wonderful harvest of righteousness and godliness.
Please feel free to write me a note concerning questions, comments and/or prayer requests for your children. Anything I don't know I'll try to find some help on, and I'll do my best to keep confidences. I also will pray much before I make any comments. We need the wisdom of God, not the counsel of men to see our children mature, no matter what stage they're at in life. Remember, it is never too late with God. No case is ever too tough for Him. God bless you as you seek His wisdom!
Go to top of page