Biblical Parenting Produces
Holy Ghost Results
"And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children..." (Deut. 6:6,7). Did you ever take an objective viewpoint as to who runs things in your home? Is it really you, or is it your child or children? Whining, crying, arguing, and pouting are selfish works of the flesh, designed by Satan to manipulate parents. Don't blame your kids though, for they don't know any better until you begin to train and to teach them the principles of God's Word.Ever feel like just giving up because your children seem to have more energy than you do, and it seems like your child just got you to the point where you don't want to handle the situation with proper discipline, and you find yourself just giving in because you are too tired? Guess what. You didn't just give in, YOU CAVED IN. Your child knows that he/she just won that confrontation. Trust me. They like to win, and they want to win again. Your child has to deal with same nature of the flesh that you as an adult have to deal with. Just because they are small doesn't mean that they are entirely innocent. They need Godly restraints the same as you. Just like in a sporting event against two teams; too many turnovers (letting your child win), and you will find yourself on the losing end.
There is hope, and you have it. (That is, if you are a child of God.) Your hope is the Holy Spirit and the Word of God. Who better to turn to for help in raising our children, than to receive instructions from the manufacturer! I wouldn't want to try to put an engine together made by GM by following the instructions from a Ford manual. The day your child was conceived, you were anointed by God himself to teach, train, instruct, discipline, nurture, and admonish your child. Read it again, "And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children…"(Deut. 6:6,7).
Study these scriptures: Col. 3:20, Prov. 10:1, Prov. 29:15, Ephes. 6:1-4, Prov. 22:6, Prov. 23:13-14, Hebrews 12:11, Prov. 22:15, Deut. 28:15, Deut. 28:9, Prov. 6:20-23.
We need to take to heart the admonition found in scripture, I Peter 1:15, "Be holy because I am holy." The word holy means "sanctification" or "set apart". Why were the instruments used in the Old Testament sacrifices called "holy"? What made the knife used by the priests different from other ordinary knives? That particular knife was "set apart" for the Lord's use. What made the ground holy when God spoke to Moses at the burning bush? It was "set apart" as a place where God would speak to Moses. What are our Christian families supposed to do because we are holy? We are to be "set apart" from among the world, so that we can show forth God's glory, mercy, faithfulness, goodness, and love through his church.
Many times we want to do so much for God, yet we forsake our own families and children. A quote from Gary and Anne Marie Ezzo says it best. "Parents who work on their child's heart will ultimately train the whole child. The duty of Christian parents to instruct their children in the knowledge of God cannot be achieved apart from His grace. The ultimate issue in parenting is the salvation of the child."
Michael R. Smith