Behold, children are an inheritance of Yahweh, the fruit of the womb is a reward. Psalm 127:3 LSB
My husband and I got some exciting news this Christmas. We are going to be grandparents! I have to tell you; I was so excited I could hardly think straight. I woke up the next morning thinking about all the things we need like a stroller and a car seat and a baby carrier and well, you know what I mean. Babies need a lot of stuff.
I was thinking about a baby shower for my daughter-in-law. Because they, as parents, are going to need way more stuff than we will.
But one thought that has been on my mind is this awesome responsibility we will have as grandparents. I mean, of course, I want to be a cool grandma. I want to be able to run and play and do all the things young children like to do. But I also have a spiritual responsibility to this child. I am reminded of spending time with my paternal grandmother. She never beat me over the head with her Bible, but she taught me to see and love others as God sees and loves them. She taught me the importance of prayer. She taught me that when we mess up, God forgives us, if we will only ask with sincerity.
My mother also reinforced these things. Proverbs 22:6 says that if you train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old, he will not depart from it. I’ll admit there was a time in my life when I strayed and was backslidden, but praise God I returned to Him. I reverted back to my training as a child.
Our Scripture passage tells us a child is a heritage and a reward. This news came as a great blessing. We are in prayer for a healthy baby. But I’m also praying that we can be the kind of grandparents that help this baby understand the importance of a good, solid relationship with Jesus Christ.
I often hear people say that children don’t come with instruction manuals, but the Bible is actually a good instruction manual for raising children.
Ephesians 6:4 tells fathers not to provoke their children to anger, but to bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. Here Paul was referring to fathers or parents in general who ruled in a domineering way with unreasonable demands which frustrate children. This verse calls for systematic discipline and instruction leading children to respect the Lord as a good foundation for their life which will bring godliness and blessing to their lives.
There are numerous Scripture passages in Proverbs that speak of the importance of discipling the child. Discipline should not be neglected but should be structured and reasonable.
And of course what I consider to be the most important thing to do with our children is in the instructions God gave to Moses to give to the Israelites in Deuteronomy 6:7. He said, “You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall speak of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up.”
He is speaking of the command to love the Lord. God knew the Israelites would face many challenges when they encountered pagan people. He knew they would be tempted and would often fall. He spoke of the importance of continually speaking with them about loving the Lord.
Many studies have shown that what you are trained to do in a training session on the range or wherever is what you will do on the streets. When faced with danger on the streets, the officer will respond as he was trained to do.
Children will face many challenges as they grow in this cold, cruel world. It’s our responsibility to adequately prepare them for this by teaching them just how important it is to love the Lord with all our heart, all our soul and all our mind and to obey His commands.
Our children are so precious, they are our future. We must raise them up as God instructs us to do. If you love your child and want the best for your child, you must show them Jesus, the best we have to offer, from an early age.
Have a great day!