I talked about how desperately our children need us to teach them about God in yesterday’s blog. Raising our children in the way that God would desire is no small task and one that we will not do perfectly. But, if we are followers of Jesus Christ, we know that we are to do everything as though we are doing it for God Himself… because we are. This includes raising our children and trying to be good parents. “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.” Colossians 3:23-24.
Fortunately for us, God gave us some really good examples of good parents in the scripture.
One of the most sacrificial and faithful parents we find in the scriptures was Hannah. In 1 Samuel 1, we are introduced to her. She is a woman who’s husband had two wives. Hannah was his wife and then there was another named Penninah. Penninah had a number of sons and daughters but Hannah could not conceive. And Penninah ridiculed Hannah terribly. She ridiculed her so much that Hannah would weep and be unable to eat. Finally, Hannah went with her husband on the annual trek to the temple and prayed to God. She said, “God, if you will give me a son, I will give him back to you and he will be a man of God.” (I am paraphrasing here 🙂 ).
“And she made a vow, saying, “Lord Almighty, if you will only look on your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head.” 1 Samuel 1:11.
God heard and answered Hannah’s prayer. And Hannah was true to her word. Once Samuel was weaned, she took him to the temple. And she left her tiny son with Eli, the priest. She knew that he would be raised as a man of God.
Can you imagine!?! Hannah’s baby was just weaned! But Hannah turned him over to Eli the priest because she had vowed to do so. “Now I am giving him to the Lord, and he will belong to the Lord his whole life.” And they worshiped the Lord there”. 1 Samuel 1:28.
Hannah returned to see her son every year when her husband made the trek to the temple for the annual sacrifice. And every year she would make him a coat and bring it with her. Eli the priest prayed over Hannah and her husband. He asked that they have more children to help with the pain of leaving Samuel. God answered that prayer and they had 3 more sons and 2 daughters. But Samuel remained at the temple and grew to be a mighty man of God. Hannah and her husband were trying to be good parents. They were raising their children to love God (especially Samuel) and they were walking out their own faith for their children to see.
Not only was Hannah exhibiting obedience. She was also exhibiting incredible trust and faith. And she and her husband were showing their children how to be good parents.
It would typically be unbearable for a mother to leave her tiny son the way that Hannah did. But Hannah knew that there was no place that Samuel would be safer. She knew that God would meet his needs. And she knew that God loved him more than she did and would watch over him.
God doesn’t ask us to drop our children off at the temple and leave them. He does ask us to raise them to be men and women of God though. “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. 6 And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. 7 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” Deuteronomy 6:5-7.
He does ask us to teach them to honor us. If they won’t honor us, they certainly won’t honor Him. “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), “so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.” Ephesians 6:2-3. And, if they are not honoring and walking with God, things are going to be very difficult in this life and even worse in death.
God asks us to raise our children up the way He has told us to. “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6.
He wants us to keep our little ones physically and spiritually safe. Jesus warns those who would cause or allow one of these little ones to stumble. “but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.” Matthew 18:6.
If pleasing God wasn’t enough incentive to raise our children to love God, Jesus’s warning should certainly persuade us 🙂 .
I praise God that, in our own family, each of our children loves and follows the Lord, as do their spouses (thank you, Jesus). And they each raise their children differently. But we can look at their lives and see fruit in our grandchildren.
We see a love for Jesus in two of our little ones as their momma and daddy read bible stories and pray with them every night as a family.
Four of our other grandchildren are being raised in the church. They attend children’s church and youth group and pray with mom and dad.
In one of our other children’s homes, they are watching movies about the Lord with our teenage grandchildren. And our grandson is even writing and playing his own Christian music.
Our newest grand baby’s momma and daddy are in church every Sunday. They are also in multiple Bible studies. And that precious little one is seeing Mommy and Daddy live out their faith.
Our youngest daughter has not given birth yet. But, in God’s perfect time, we know that He is going to place a beautiful baby into their arms. And we also know that she and her husband will raise that baby to love and honor God. And we can’t wait! lol.
So, as you can see in our children, there is no template for how to raise children to love God and to follow after the Lord. There isn’t one perfect way.
We can certainly learn from Hannah’s example and perhaps be more willing to really raise our children to be men and women of God. But the best example we have is God Himself. If the God of all creation desires each and every one of us to have a relationship with Him and to spend eternity with Him, shouldn’t we want that for our own children? If He was willing to give up His own Son to suffer and die for us and our children, shouldn’t we want them to have a relationship with Him?
And God also gave us His Word, the scriptures. If we will teach our children the scriptures, they will draw closer to God. If we tell our children about the incredible things that God has done in our lives (like giving us such incredible children 🙂 ), they will draw closer to Him. And, if we tell our children about the incredible love God has for them and the sacrifice that Jesus made for them, they will draw closer to God. If we show our children how important it is to be in church and to walk with God, they will draw closer to Him.
Now, will they grow up to be Billy Graham? Nope. There was only one Billy Graham 😉 . But, they will grow up with a mom and dad who loved the Lord and who taught them how to love Him too. They will grow up with the knowledge needed to become Godly parents and raise their own children to love the Lord. And finally, they will grow up with parents who stand before God someday and hear that He is pleased with the way they raised their children.
Raise them up in the way that they should go!
Father God, we praise you that you would even bless us with children. Father, help us to remember that whether they are our biological, step, adopted, nieces and nephews, grandchildren, or neighbors, we can influence them for you. Give us hearts to do that, Lord. We praise you that you have given us examples and teachings in the scripture to help us to raise them well and to love you. Lord Jesus, we praise and thank you for your great love and sacrifice for them (and us). And, because of your great love and sacrifice, we pray that they would be warriors for you. Help us to steward our time with them well and to pour into them every moment that you bless us with. Holy Spirit, draw them to yourself and protect them from the enemy. Lead us to lead them!
If you do not know Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, you may wonder why your own parents didn’t raise you to love the Lord. Or, you may wonder why you didn’t listen when they did. None of that matters. It only matters that you have a Heavenly Father who adores you! He’s a Heavenly Father who wants a personal and intimate relationship with you. I pray that you would go to our life preserver page (https://forgiven-n-loved.com/life-preserver/) and pray the prayer that is outlined there. Through that prayer, God wants to show you His great love for you, beginning with forgiving your sins. He then wants you to talk to Him. He wants you to walk with Him through this life. And He wants to lead you out of the sin and shame that you have been living in.
Please pray that prayer and, once you have, reach out to me at admin@Forgiven-N-Loved.com and let me know. I’d love to be in prayer with — and for — you.
Luv Ya!
