PURPOSEFUL PARENTING SERIES: RAISING GODLY CHILDREN

 

Raising children is a great task and necessarily requires deliberate action on the part of the parents. More so, raising Godly children is a duty Christian parents owe their children. Parenting is a joint responsibility and should not be left to the mother or the father alone. Every child needs input from both parents for healthy development. Just as the man and the woman contribute their sex cells and the fusion results to a child, so also the contribution of both parents is important in raising the child. All children are raised however they turn out to be, it is the lack of deliberateness, carelessness or poor parenting that produces many malformed children.

Godly children are children raised purposefully with the intent of showing the children the ways of the Lord and helping them to embrace God’s principles and standards. These principles are tools for moulding their character and will ultimately reflect in their values and conduct. It is important to note that parenting should not be done haphazardly but deliberately because there is a way a child should go. If the child is channeled in that way, he will likely not depart from it.

“Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it” (Prov 22:6-KJV). 

 

Children are God’s heritage and a reward from God (Psalm 127:3) and He desires Godly children. In the bible, God could attest to Abraham’s parenting because he commanded his children to follow God. Abraham gives an example of purposeful parenting in raising Godly children. As a Christian parent, strive to make your children follow God just as you do. They are your continuity and promulgate your lineage. Take necessary steps to pass your faith to them, while they pass the same unto the next generation. In doing this deliberately, you raise a godly heritage and generation. 

Blessed are those who fear the Lord, who find great delight in his commands. Their children will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed. Wealth and riches are in their house, and their righteousness endures forever”(Psalm 112:1-2-NIV).

In raising your children, endeavour to start early and consciously continue to follow through with the child’s growth and development process.

IMPORTANT TOOLS FOR RAISING GODLY CHILDREN

PRAYERS: Pray for your children always and these prayers should even begin as early as in singlehood, through conception, infancy and as the child keeps developing. As you pray for them, teach them to pray also. Let them observe from your conduct and testimonies that God answers prayers and the immense benefits of praying. Start early to model prayers, teach them to pray before and after bedtime, before a meal, during family devotions, when they are in need, when they feel sick, pray for others etc.

THE WORD OF GOD: This is a very vital tool in raising Godly children. Teach them the word of God and use it as a tool for upbringing. Moral instructions can be limited but the word of God is powerful and will produce faith in your children. A faith preacher in Nigeria, Pst Tunde Bakare once said it is important to condition your children with the word of God, and they will not depart from it. If you fail to do so, peers, social media, society etc will condition them to conform to their pattern. Let them know who they are in God, what provisions have been made for them in Christ Jesus, what they can do by God’s help, and God’s expectation for them etc. Teaching your children the word of God should not be stereotyped, you can do so while taking a walk, while playing together, while you lie down etc; just let the word of God be taught to the child always. It also means you need to know the word of God as a Christian parent so you can teach it effectively.

EVANGELISM: You are your child’s first pastor and you have a responsibility to lead your children to Christ. Give them Jesus early and let them grow in Him, they will not depart from Him. When you are not with them, they will be able to make a righteous judgment because they have been founded in the Lord.

CHURCH: Take your children to church and programs suitable for them such as camp meetings, bible clubs, healthy programs tailored for their age. Buy Bible and other resources for them that can help them know more about God and grow in him. Don’t leave them behind to watch TV while you go to church. There is time for everything, time for recreation, sports, relaxation, school etc. The time for church fellowship should not be used for other things. Encourage them to be involved in the happenings in the church and to use their talents too.

Above all, provide for your children. By provision, I don’t mean food, clothing, shelter, education, toys only etc. I also mean leadership, set goals for them, answer their questions and be involved in every aspect of their life as much as you can. Love them and be a positive example to them as well, see the previous article on Parents are role models 

 

 

 

Thank you for reading, raise Godly children!