A note to fathers:
In most cases, the type of man you are is the type of man your daughter will marry. If you have a daughter that you are trusting God to protect and grow up in a godly manner, you have to be the one willing to do the pointing. That doesn't happen on it's own and her journey getting there will be more joyful if you make the choice to lead in that. God created her, He knows whether she will choose Him, but He entrusted you with her delicate life and gave you the responsibility of equipping her for that journey. The tools you give her will pave the road to Jesus, making it crooked or straight decides how much hardship she will endure to get there.
"Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there". Matthew 19:14
Early in life, children look to their mother and father for every detail in their lives. Food, clothing, shelter, love, protection and life-lessons are things we as parents need to provide. This means that, from birth, they are completely dependent upon the parents' choices for every aspect of their growth and development, including both the spiritual and emotional. With this blessing and honor of being called parents comes a huge responsibility and lots of room for error but there is grace.
Make no mistake, grace is not a substitute for our initiative to grow.
Making the decision to follow Christ means allowing Him to take control of your life and follow His Spirit, He will never lead you astray. Choices to ignore His voice are possible but that only leads to growth being stunted and more suffering. Learn from mistakes and allow God's grace to transform you by being obedient to His calling.
Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord. Ephesians 6:4
Children desperately need their fathers, they watch the way he lives, they let it sink in. Since fathers are responsible for leading and giving children their identity, this is all the more reason for dads to be studying the word. They must lovingly lead children in such a way that reflects the love of Jesus. There's an expression, "Preach the gospel at all times and when necessary, use words." This is especially true in parenting. God is known as our heavenly Father and He instructs us through His word and by the power of the Holy Spirit. Through their dads, boys need to be taught how to be bold, courageous and how to love. Little girls need to know that they are beautiful, valuable and loved by their heavenly Father (what love really looks like) so that they will not be deceived by the evil forces of the world.
There is an enemy battling for your child's heart every day. "Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour." 1 Peter 5:8
Always be on guard for ways that the evil one tries to deceive your children, whether it be through worldly temptations, the godlessness, or sin nature. Their hearts need our protection and we need to be armed and ready with the truth of the word of God.
“If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them if a large millstone were hung around their neck and they were thrown into the sea. If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out." Mark 9:42-43
There is a penalty for making little ones stumble, I believe this includes passivity and unbelief. Sometimes it's not about what we do but more about what we are not doing that can cause our children to stumble. God calls us to much more than sitting idle and being comfortable (neglecting to move forward spiritually.) We are called to be proactive, to set examples, get involved, pray fervently and live out a life of faith. If we are failing to put forth our best possible effort to place God at His rightful place in our lives, how then could we ever expect our hearts to overflow with goodness into the lives of our children?
I know this one is hard! Trying to figure out exactly what God wants us to do is a challenge.
"Children are a gift from the LORD; they are a reward from him." Psalm 127:3
Being a parent is the hardest job in the world, no one is denying that. In those moments when we feel like the world is just about to spin right out of control, we have to ask the Holy Spirit to take the reigns. Sometimes this is not instant but it does activate God to start moving because we took a step of obedience to ask. Sometimes our faith is running low- smaller than a mustard seed low- but nonetheless, we have just enough faith to ask. God honors that. In those "out of control times," we must remember that these children ARE a gift from the LORD. They are treasured and they are His. In that moment when the kids have dumped an entire bowl of cornflakes and milk all over the floor, it can be hard to remember they are a blessing. Take a deep breath and remind yourself, "children are a gift from the Lord." If you need to walk away for bit, walk away. One wrong choice can define the rest of your day and even worse, could sit in your child's heart forever.
"See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven." Matthew 18:10
Don't worry, mothers are SUPER important, not for a second discounting that. We will discuss that next week! Stay positive!
Children are such a delight, photographing them is my passion. To see photos and read my business page, visit my blog on my website.
http://www.kandicemarie.com
