Proverbs 22:6 states, \u201cTrain up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it.\u201d Now, obviously we cannot be protecting our children by being with them 24\/7 (nor would they want us to be). So how can you \u201ctrain up\u201d your child to follow God when you\u2019re faced with so much opposition in the secular world?<\/p>\n
As time progresses, the world in which we live has been growing more \u201cpolitically correct,\u201d and less \u201ccorrect.\u201d We are very aware of this. Many people who are parents have struggled with the temptations of this world. If you\u2019re reading this blog, chances are that you\u2019ve found Christ despite it all. So now you are tasked with a huge responsibility:\u00a0 to raise and protect your child from the temptations of this world and prepare them to live godly lives once they leave home.<\/p>\n
So here are some things that need serious consideration on your part.<\/p>\n
Your spouse is your partner in raising your family. You need to work together, and not undermine each other. If you are at war with each other, that\u2019s what your children will learn to be like when they get married. If you are in disagreement with each other over an issue, take it outside and away from your children. It\u2019s sad to know that many couples fight, but if ever you\u2019re provoked to do so, never do it in front of your kids and never drag them into it. Also, remember what the Bible says to husbands and wives in Ephesians 5:22-29 about how to treat each other, and take this instruction to heart.<\/p>\n
Some parents these days are so paranoid about protecting their child that they\u2019ll go so far as to disinfect and sterilize their home regularly so the child won\u2019t get sick. Sounds like a good idea, right? Except when the child goes to school where bacteria and germs are practically coating every object. When this happens, they get incredibly sick, because their immune system isn\u2019t developed. Sooner or later, your child will be exposed to \u201cthe world\u201d and all the temptations and sin that are in it. This isn\u2019t a bad thing. There wouldn\u2019t be any point to the church if we just locked ourselves in our houses and avoided people, waiting for Jesus to come back. Your job as a parent isn\u2019t to keep your kids away from evil, but to teach them how to resist and fight against it and help others do the same.<\/p>\n
That paragraph title might be a little confusing to understand when you first read it, so let’s use the words of country singer Stuart Hamblen, \u201cDon\u2019t send those kids to Sunday school, get out of bed and take them!\u201d\u00a0 You are your child\u2019s example. If you aren\u2019t spending time with God, how can you expect them to do so? Don\u2019t\u2019 rely on the youth pastor or the school teacher to smack some good morals into your kid and raise them for you. If you don\u2019t maintain the example of a Christian lifestyle, you\u2019ll be hard-pressed to convince anyone to, especially your own family.<\/p>\n
As Christians, we know that we aren\u2019t to forsake the assembling together with our fellow believers (Hebrews 10:25). Why? Because we edify each other. Likewise, you should be spending time together as a family, especially in prayer and in the Word. Always pray with your kids! Not only does this teach them how to pray, but it is time spent as a family with God. When they are old enough, start reading the Word together. Teach them who God is and what the church is\u2014that it isn\u2019t a special building, but the union of fellow believers to come together and worship God. Your home and your family are always a church as you live together to glorify God.<\/p>\n
Don\u2019t neglect your own time with the Lord to pray for your family and anything they are going through. If your child has doubts, pray to God to reveal Himself. If they\u2019re feeling sick, pray for them. If they have a big assignment due or a test coming up, pray for them. Your child would be glad to know that you support them if they are trying to succeed at something, even if it\u2019s something you know nothing about or not exactly what you wanted (i.e. you wanted them to be the captain of the football team, but they want to be captain of the chess team). Our children are not us, and we aren\u2019t here to live through them. That\u2019s where many parents need to step back and realize that God has His plans for you and He has His plans for your children.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s obvious when you look at families that follow these examples; they tend to get along better and be much stronger in their walk with the Lord than those who don\u2019t. So now ask yourself, parents, if you are following these practices. Do you live the example you want your kids to see? Do you feel you are being the parent God has called you to be?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Proverbs 22:6 states, \u201cTrain up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it.\u201d Now, obviously we cannot be protecting our children by being with them 24\/7 (nor would they want us to be). So how can you \u201ctrain up\u201d your child to follow God […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5246,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false},"categories":[2307,4155],"tags":[1178,1177,637,1176],"class_list":{"0":"post-5239","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-christian-lifestyle","8":"category-sunday-school-resources","9":"tag-biblical-parenting","10":"tag-children","11":"tag-family","12":"tag-parenting"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/blogrouting.sharefaith.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/parenting.jpg","jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"yoast_head":"\n