Parenting
is hard work that entails much sacrifice. Anyone with children can attest to
the truth of such a statement. For the first several years of a child’s life,
they are completely dependent upon their parents for their survival. They
cannot feed themselves, clothe themselves, or bathe themselves. And even as
they grow to more independence throughout the years, they still need mom and
dad’s help (although the stubborn teenager may not acknowledge this that
often). The sleepless nights don’t go away after the child has progressed from
the newborn stage but continue for different reasons as one lies awake concerned
over their adult children at times.
Yet
the greatest responsibility of parenting is not found solely with taking care
of our children’s physical needs, as important as that is, but in addressing
their spiritual one. God’s ultimate purpose for parenting is for Him and His
Word to be introduced to the next generation. “One generation shall commend
Your works to another, and shall declare Your mighty acts” (Psalm 145:4). He
even states that His desire is for godly offspring (Malachi 2:15). It has been
rightly pointed out that Jesus’ Great Commission for the Church to make
disciples of all the nations (Matthew 28:19-20) really serves as an expansion
of God’s original creation mandate for mankind “to be fruitful and multiply”
(Genesis 1:28). A parent’s concern should not be just to produce physical children
but to disciple the children that God has given them in hopes that they will
become His spiritual children by grace through faith in Christ. If we are
successful in every area of our children’s lives but this one, what good is
that for eternity? We could wind up having upstanding moral well-behaved kids
but if they do not know about Jesus and the salvation that He has accomplished,
we have ultimately failed where it matters most.
To
properly parent as God would have us to requires us to be continually teaching
our kids the things of Christ and the gospel. Moses told the people in relation
to God’s commandments that “You shall teach them diligently to your children,
and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way,
and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your
hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on
the doorposts of your house and on your gates” (Deuteronomy 6:7-9). In everything
we do, we should seek to connect it to the gospel and the teaching of
Scripture. To be on the lookout for opportunities to give our children good
gospel lessons. (And if we have our eyes open, they really are not that hard to
find.) Work to apply Scripture to what
they are both witnessing going on around them and experiencing in their own
life. Be intentional about discussing how we are to understand in light of
Scripture the current headlines and hot topics. I remember a number of years
back seeing a commercial of a man going around basically giving a walking
commentary of everything that he saw. As he went past a store, he explained
what kind of store it was and what it sold. He mentioned that he was eating a
hot dog as he put it into his mouth and began chewing. It appeared as if he was
just speaking to himself this whole time but when the camera zoomed out, you
could see a toddler in the stroller that he was pushing. He was seeking to
educate his child about the world around him as they encountered it together.
Exactly what we are called to do as parents in regards to God’s Word and the
gospel as we go through the experiences of life together with our kids.
Of
course, much of parenting is caught more than it is taught. You know this well
when you witness your young son or daughter doing something that you had never
told them to do but that they evidently picked up from observing you do it
yourself. (Often times this can be that bad habit of ours that we didn’t want
them to do as us!) Knowing this, one of the best things that we can do for our
kids is to continue to nurture our own relationship with Christ through regular
time in the Word and in prayer. Oh, what a powerful example it sets for our
kids when they witness mom and dad on their knees with their Bibles open!
And a
practical way to teach our kids the Lord and His Word is to incorporate into
your daily and weekly routine a time of family worship. It can be simple and
doesn’t have to take a lot of time, especially if your kids are really little. Just
read a passage of Scripture together, discuss what it says, and pray. It’s kind
of like having a small worship service with your family. Perhaps sing a hymn
together as well. (Don’t worry about your ability to sing. The point is not to
perform but to worship God and encourage each other in song.) I have friends
who make it their goal to teach a different hymn to their children each month.
It is a great way of helping them learn the deep rich truths about God and his
great salvation that He has accomplished. And as many of you know, kids learn
well by singing.
Don’t
get discouraged if you miss a day in doing this or struggle to get a routine
started. We’ve been trying to begin such but I must confess that it is
unfortunately more sporadic than as regularly as we would like it to be at the
moment. Yet, we will strive to still do so as we would like to have this a
normal part of our week that John and any other children that the Lord might
give us will become accustomed to. The rewards are too great not to work to
establish such in our own family. I encourage you to try it and see what the
Lord might do through it, not only in your children’s lives but in yours as
well. It is a wonderful way to ensure that we are teaching the next generation
about the Lord and the salvation that can only be found in Christ.
None
of this will guarantee salvation for our kids of course. We know that God is
sovereign and ultimately responsible for the conversation of any sinner. Yet,
it is also true that the Lord does not save in a vacuum. Oftentimes, He uses
the means of faithful Christian parents teaching their children the Word of God
and the gospel to draw them to Him. And if you are a grandparent now whose time
has passed to do this with your children, don’t neglect the important influence
that the Lord has given you with your grandkids. They are part of the newest
generation who need to become familiar with the Lord, His work, and His Word.
May He bless our efforts to commend Him to the next generation!
Love
in Christ,
Pastor
Lee
