The child is the parent of tomorrow. Where are we heading as a people? What will a Father and a mother of the future look like?
With as many children being raised in single parent families or in blended families what is going to be the trend in love, discipline and parenting? Keep in mind a "Fatherless or motherless" home can be a house where the Father and Mother live.
Who will teach the values to the kids of the future? Who will lead the children spiritually? How important will this issue be in their lives - especially times of trouble.
With the state undermining the beliefs of many parents and the media tearing apart the traditional roles of men, women, Fathers and mothers, we definitely need now more than ever to instill the truth of God's word in the hearts of our children. Joshua of the Bible said "As for me and my house we will serve the Lord."
In Deuteronomy, the Jewish Shema says, teach your children ... write it on their hearts while standing and sitting.
Men, we want to encourage you to become the Spiritual head of your homes . This will take some time and dedication to accomplish but the dividends will show up in less disappointments and challenges in the future. There are no guarantees how your children will turn out and what pain you may have to go through as a parent or grandparent. But the probability that your children will sidestep some of the destructive behavior of their youth will go way up. The most important thing is what they have to build a strong foundation on in life. The time you spend in God's Word to build into their hearts the TRUTH will be the investment that will reap eternal divides in their lives.... it will also bring joy peace and love in the family . George Barna, researcher and statistician says, that a child of thirteen as already established his or her worldview. Will it be a biblical worldview seeing the issues of their lives through the lens of the Truth of God's word or will it be a man -made view. Men take it from a father who has not always been there for his kids, and definitely was not the perfect father. ...I know this is a key to future happiness; I have seen it first hand. There is a choice before you today ..live life with no regrets or life with regrets.
They may stray but they always know where to return to. We have a child who has strayed and we speak to her she says, "Mom and Dad I know the truth and I know my way back." We are praying she soon returns to the answers she already knows . The challenge today is very few young people know their path back because the "Spiritual leaders" in todays homes also do not know the way home and don't even understand what home is. We are a project for God and he is still working in all of us.
I hope this post inspires Fathers especially to understand the special role you have and Beth and I hope this post will inspire you will actively engage spiritually in life of your children.
Now what about the millions of children who do not have a parent who loves God? That's where ministries like Child Evangelism Fellowship come in to fill the Gap. CEF evangelized the lost child .. To disciples them in the Word of God ... Finally it establishes them and their families in a local Bible believing church for growth and a strong foundation. This is why Beth and I have dedicated our lives to reaching every child, everywhere, everyday with the foundational truth of Gods love. Everyday is an adventure and we wake up knowing Ministry is a blast!
A plan of action:
1. The decision ... You must make a decision that this is truly important .. It must become a priority to have a potent result. Make your move to become the Spiritual head of your home.
2. Set aside a specific time, for some it is around the dinner table for others after dinner around the fireplace. Remember the attention span of children.
2. Get a devotional book to share together with your children ....age appropriate. Make sure the devotional book does not trump, the Bible in importance ..children must see these are not just words but Truths from God himself . Always point the child to the reference of all truth and help them to understand the Bible is the absolute Truth the solid foundation for their lives.
"Wisdom searches". Proverbs is written by Solomon
"Wonder book devotional" God wants to spend time with you 365 days a year.
Suggestion for children's devotional
A. Jesus calling child's version
3. Pray as husband and wife before starting your family devotional time. Ask God to have His Holy Spirit guide you and give you the thoughts and words to share with your children. Pray together as a family before starting your devotional time. This is also a good time to encourage your children to pray.
4. During devotional time ...keep in mind the age group and their attention span
Make it an enjoyable experience, ask questions and listen. These are your children that you love… ask yourselves what do you want them to learn? You will be instilling lasting values and beliefs in the soul of their lives. You will find interesting things they will have on their minds. The voice of God will be instilled forever in their minds.
5. Reinforce a thought from what they learn. Help them to see the difference between God's ways and mans ways. Remember the atheist evolutionary thinking school teacher and the godless T.V. Media and their friends will all be fighting for control of their minds more hours than you have with them. So take this as a divine moment of fellowship and teaching.