I may have to apologize a little, in advance. I am very passionate about what I am going to say today, so if it hits home, I hope you do two things. One, forgive me and, two, examine the truth of it and discuss it with the Lord, because He is the one who has laid this so heavily upon my heart.
So many people talk about the incredible and immeasurable love that they have for their children.
I remember thinking how much I felt I loved my own children and that I couldn’t possibly love them more than I did.
But, sometimes, as parents, we measure the magnitude of our love for our children by how wonderful our children think we are or by what they say to others about how much they love us. To some degree, we want to be the god in their lives.
With the advent of social media, it is not uncommon to see post after post of parents talking about how fantastic their relationship is with their children, how much their children love them and vice versa, or maybe even about what great “friends” they are with their children.
But how does that measure up to what the bible says about the love that we are to have for our children and what that love should look like?
One of the first things that we need to know, when we are trying to decide what God says about this, is whether God cares about our little ones at all. In Matthew 18:6 Jesus tells us, “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.” So, I think that answers our question. It sounds like he has great love and concern for them.
The next thing we have to know is, how does God even fit into the love between a parent and a child? Psalm 127:3 tells us, “Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb is his reward.”
This verse is telling us that children are a blessing and a gift, given to us by God Himself.
God cares so much for our children that he tells us how to raise them (to love Him), how to discipline them, and what to teach them. He loves our children as much as He loves us — so much that He sacrificed His Son just to allow us to have a relationship with Him.
I know that I have mentioned it before, but I was FAR from the perfect mother. In fact, (and I know that I’ve said this before as well), I was such a bad person, and mother, that I didn’t even think that God could ever forgive me.
Not only did I believe that God could never forgive me, I believed that I was going to Hell as well, and the truth of the matter is, I was. But… I’ll also tell you that I loved and cared for my children so much that I wanted them to know Jesus. In my mind, even if I had lost my opportunity (and was going to be separated from them for eternity), there was still a chance for them. I wanted them to go to heaven.
So, I tried church after church after church. I wasn’t even sure what I was looking for. But I believed that God loved my children enough to help me find it.
I kept searching until, finally, God led us to the church. The church where, for the first time in all of our lives, we felt the love of Christ. Which caused us to repent and experienced divine forgiveness. Even ME! Thank you, Jesus!
We have determined that God loves our children. And, we have determined that God gave us our children as a blessing. He loves and cares for them so much that He even tells us how to raise, discipline, and teach them.
So, how is it then, that we have people who profess to be followers of Christ, who do not take their children to church. They do not read scriptures to them. And, they are not raising them in the way that they should go, so that they have a foundation of faith to fall back on when life gets hard?
Yet, they will be the first to tell you how much they love their children.
I’d like to say, “Father forgive them, they know not what they do”. But I am not convinced that is the case. I don’t necessarily believe they don’t know, as much as I think they don’t care. They are their own idols. And their children will have to seek after and make up their own minds about their faith.
I have a rude awakening for you, if you are that parent, those babies are a gift from God. He entrusted them to you. One day you WILL stand before our Heavenly Father. And, looking Him dead in the eye, you will have to give an account (Romans 14:12) for why you failed to raise them to love Him and why you failed to help them find Him and live for Him.
Unfortunately, some Christian parents think, “I will tell them about God and walk them through a sinner’s prayer. Then, they will be good to go. And at least we will be in heaven together.” Your responsibility is far greater than that. Deuteronomy 11:18-20 says, “Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as reminders on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, speaking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Write them on the doorposts of your houses and on your gates;”.
Those “words” that God is talking about are the very words that He breathed through man for each of us. They are His love letter to us. They are the words that He spoke to help us through every situation. These words speak His promises to us. They remind us that He loves and desires a relationship with us. And, through these words, we can obtain forgiveness and salvation.
The scripture is our survival kit. It is our arsenal for the spiritual war that we will endure in this life. And, when we aren’t leading our children spiritually, they are going into that battle unarmed. They have no protection, they have no armor, they have no weapons.
So, if that is you, tell me again how much you love your child/children.
You are to teach them His word, raise them to love Him, and be a MODEL of Christ to them. Will you be perfect at it? NO! God knows that I wasn’t! But it wasn’t for a lack of trying.
Titus 2:7 says, “Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity and dignity.” Proverbs 22:6 says, “Train up a child in the way that they should go , and when they are old they will not depart from it”. And, Proverbs 17:6 says “Children’s children are a crown to the aged, and parents are the pride of their children.”
Are you modeling good works, integrity, and dignity to your children? Are you raising them in the way that they should go? Do you feel worthy of being the pride of your children? And lastly, and probably the most difficult question to answer, are you prepared to discuss how you are raising your children, eye to eye, with the One who created and gave them to you?
If you answered no to any of those questions, I have good news. When we repent (ask God to forgive us) and turn away from (stop doing it) out sin, God will forgive us. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9.
Start over. Start NOW! Raise those babies to love Jesus! If you truly love them, you will raise and teach them about the One who loves them more than you. The one who can be with them in places you can’t. The one who can help them with things you won’t even know are happening. And the one who wants to, and can, do more for them than you can even imagine.
Lord, help us to love our children the way that You call us to love them. Help us to remember Your words and remind us of them daily. Be our strength and guide us in bringing our children up in a way that pleases You without question. Lord, thank you for the manual that You have given us when we are unsure. And we praise and thank you for the forgiveness that You offer us when we fall short and repent. Please forgive me for all the times that I fall short. You know that it’s daily. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.
Do you know Jesus? If not, please head over to our Life preserver page and pray the prayer that is outline there (from the bottom of your heart). God is waiting there to forgive you. Then, reach out to me at admin@forgiven-n-loved.com so that I can be in prayer with and for you.
Luv ya!
