“And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.”
--Deuteronomy 6:6-7
As a parent, nothing can happen through you until it first happens in you. That’s why today’s verse says that God’s Word and ways must be in your heart before you can teach God’s Word and his ways to your children.
The simple but unalterable truth is that you cannot lead your children where you have not been yourself. You cannot expect your children to lead dynamic, Spirit-filled Christian lives if you aren’t living a vibrant, dynamic, Spirit-filled Christian life yourself.
It doesn’t matter their age, children can spot insincerity and phoniness and hypocrisy from a mile away. And nowhere is their radar more accurate than it is at home. That’s why I tell parents that your kids don’t expect you to be perfect, but they do expect you to be real! They expect sincerity.
So let me make this as practical as I possibly can today. Are you the same person at home as you are away from home? If your kids saw you at work or at a lunch meeting with clients or at a dinner with friends, would they recognize you by the way you act and talk?
Today more than ever, our children need moms and dads who consistently and creatively pour the Word and wisdom of God into their lives. They need your encouragement and example!
That means spending the time on your own relationship with Christ so you can pour God’s Word and God’s ways into your children’s lives. It means initiating conversations with your kids about spiritual things. It means looking for ways to weave God into the normal, everyday routine of life.
Our kids don’t need passive parents. They need active, intentional, instructional moms and dads who are passionate about their own walks with Christ and who will instill in their children the truth, promise, and blessing that comes from the Word of God.
That’s what it takes to have a truly successful and happy family. And it’s a sacrifice I pray you’d be willing to make as a parent today.
YOU CANNOT EXPECT YOUR CHILDREN TO LEAD DYNAMIC, SPIRIT-FILLED CHRISTIAN LIVES IF YOU AREN’T LIVING A VIBRANT, DYNAMIC, SPIRIT-FILLED CHRISTIAN LIFE YOURSELF.
Tuesday, July 16, 2019
by Dr. Paul Chappell
“And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind. For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things. But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you. Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”
Luke 12:29-32
Too many times people view God as if He were stingy, holding back on what He could do if He were willing. The Bible paints a very different picture. It shows us God as a loving Father who cares for His children deeply. “For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly” (Psalm 84:11). The reality is that God delights in giving to His children. He gives to us, not because we are so deserving, but because it is His nature to do so.
God is generous and giving by His nature. He is not selfish or stingy. He does not dangle good things in front of us only to snatch them back. We do not have to convince Him to help us—He delights to do so. The problem is not on His end, but on ours. People are willing to do almost anything except what God has provided to get what they want. “Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not” (James 4:2). When we act as if God is not willing to give us what we need, we are slandering His holy name. And we are besmirching His perfect character. Instead we should joyfully claim His promises, realizing that when we ask God to provide, we are bringing Him great delight.
Today's Growth Principle:
We should access the divine resources God promises, recognizing that He delights in giving to us.
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