RAISING GODLY CHILDREN
Dear Reader,
You are welcome to another great month! My heartfelt prayer is that God will perfect all aspects of your life in Jesus’ name. Today, I will be teaching on the topic ‘Raising Godly Children’. Stay put to harness all that God has in store for you as a family.
The Word says: Behold, I and the children whom the LORD hath given me are for signs and for wonders in Israel from the LORD of hosts, which dwelleth in mount Zion (Isaiah 8:18). This means that your children are meant for signs and wonders. Therefore, it is your responsibility as parents to raise your children in the fear of the Lord so they can become an ensign to the world. As parents, your God-given duty in raising your children can never be taken over by the church, school and society. This is because the greatest inheritance you can ever leave for your children is proper upbringing. The Christian upbringing you give them today will remain with them for life, and they can impart the same to their children’s children, thereby raising a generation of godly children. Also, when you successfully instil the fear of the Lord in their hearts, their great and glorious future is secured and cannot be dashed or tampered with. The foundation of your children must be solid. No wonder the Word says: …If the foundation be destroyed… (Psalm 11:3). Therefore, invest in their foundation so that you will derive joy from them. I pray that all parents reading this article today will experience joy over their children tomorrow in Jesus’ mighty name.
Furthermore, man is a tripartite being. He is composed of three parts; the spirit, soul and body (1 Thessalonians 5:23). This automatically means that man has spiritual, emotional and physiological needs that have to be met. Children take the likeness of man, and as such, they have spiritual, soul and body needs and must be satisfied. Now, let us consider the three main aspects in the lives of children and how you can instil the fear of God in them.
The Spiritual Aspect
Just like adults have spiritual needs, children also do. The Word tells us in John 4:24 that God is a Spirit, and He made man in His image. Therefore, man is essentially a spirit being, and by that spirit, contact is made with God. Hence, children can have contact with God and establish a relationship with Him. Do not assume that your children are going to heaven simply because they are born into a Christian home or because they attend Sunday school. No! They must confess Jesus as their Lord and Saviour. Thus, it is the responsibility of parents to lead them to do so. After this foundation has been laid, we can begin to build on it. The Scripture must be studied with them; you must create time to sit down and teach them the Word of God. This is of great importance because it instils the fear of the Lord into their hearts so that when they grow and get out into the world, God’s fear that has been planted in them will preserve them in the way of the Lord (Proverb 22:6). Remember Joseph, his parents were not there, yet, he refused to sin against God (Genesis 39:9).
It is important to note that every single life has a purpose. Every child is created for a purpose. Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations (Jeremiah 1:5). We see that Jeremiah was ordained a prophet from the womb, therefore by prayer, locate your children’s ordination and propel them along that path. Also, teach your children how to pray correctly, bearing in mind the different kinds of prayers. Introduce them to their heavenly Father and encourage them to pray daily. Finally, on meeting their needs spiritually, introduce them to active Christian service in the house of God. Ensure you make time available to meet their spiritual needs.
The Emotional Aspect
Children are meant to be loved, cared for and accepted. As a parent, you must meet their needs emotionally. They must be emotionally satisfied so that there will be no deception from outside that will be able to secure their attention. The reason for child abuse and all manner of evils today in the society is that most parents are no longer there to meet the emotional needs of their children.
Ensure that you are approachable and easily accessible to your children. Give them opportunities to ask questions about what is bothering them. Do not be “Too big” for them that they will be afraid and prefer to seek solace elsewhere. Be there when you ought to so that they will not be influenced outside. I tell people all the time that before a child will begin to do drugs, something has gone wrong back at home. When you meet their emotional needs, no devil will influence them from outside. Also, good, open and effective communication is a vital tool in helping your children develop emotional stability. A child, who is self-assured and has high self-esteem, will be immune to foreign influence. May the Lord grant you grace to perform.
The Physical Aspect
Cleanliness they say is next to godliness. As a parent, you must also make provision for your children’s physical needs. They should be neat and adequately clothed for various periods. Ensure that as you appear neat, your children also look neat both at home and everywhere they may be found. They ought to be true representatives of Christ. But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel (1 Timothy 5:8). Your children should be well fed; they should be given a balanced diet no matter how small. There is a need for you to supervise their feeding habits. Also, in their academics, be there to help. Prayerfully help them in their choice of subjects and ultimately in setting goals in their career. Although these goals may change but let them have at least one. Discover their giftings in life and stir them in that direction. Please do not force them into your ambition because God may have a different plan for them; therefore, encourage them to have Bible-based dreams. It is also important to teach them how to handle money and how to be financially accountable so that they will not be a disgrace to you in future. Statistics show that over 90 percent of the children of wealthy people do not end up wealthy. Why? They are not taught how to spend money judiciously, so they end up wasting it, rescue your children now by teaching them how to spend their money wisely.
In conclusion, these three aspects come in that order of priority; spiritual, emotional and physical needs. Do not put all your attention on only one, that is not right; order your priorities correctly. I pray that God will give you the grace to perform so that your children will become responsible adults tomorrow.
However, until you are born again, you cannot create a godly atmosphere. If you are set for this, please say this prayer: Dear Lord, I come to You today. I am a sinner. Forgive me my sins. Cleanse me with Your precious Blood. I accept You as my Lord and Saviour. Now, I know I am born again!
Congratulations, you are now born again and a child of God. He loves you and will never leave or forsake you. With this, you are guaranteed all-round rest and peace, in Jesus’ name! Please, write or call to share your testimonies with me through oyedepofaitha@gmail.com OR 08141320204. For more insight, these books authored by me are available at the Dominion Bookstores in all Living Faith Churches and other leading Christian Bookstores, Understanding Motherhood, Building a Successful Family and Raising Godly Children (Co-Authored with Bishop David Oyedepo).
