A child is a gift from God. The Lord has used you as parents to bring your child into this world, to give your son or daughter life and to raise them in this world. But your child is still God’s creation – they still belong to Him. As Christian parents, you have the responsibility to nurture your child in an environment that serves Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, so that your child will not give in to temptation. To be obedient is a duty for your child, but you have to help him or her to do so joyfully. You need to be an example by showing them love and care through your words and deeds. Do not behave in a way that is not Christ-like.
If you follow this advice, your child will be willing and open to trust you and follow you in general. If you behave in a way that goes against God’s commandments, you will be the reason that your child will rebel against you and they will possibly endure some suffering. In Exodus 34:6-7, we read that God will punish the children for the sin of the parents. For example: you as a father, are often telling your daughter that she is not able to do this or that; this mindset will strongly influence her self-value. This conviction and outlook can affect generations, she will tell her child what she heard from you and so on…
This is a reminder to give your best in raising your child! At the time when they leave your home, it is their decision to freely spend time with you or not. To honor your mother and father only means that you must never slander them or say: “No, you are not my father.” It does not mean that your child has to obey your every word or spend time with you. To honor your parents doesn’t always mean that you will support them financially either; at the time of Moses and Jesus, there was no social system or support.
In the end, every human is free to decide to spend time with their parents, support them or not. As Christians, God wants us to give gifts freely! May God bless your journey with your child!
Some Bible verses to think about this topic:
Deuteronomy 6:6-7 (NIV)
“These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.”
Ephesians 6:4 (NIV)
“Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.”
Colossians 3:21 (KJV)
“Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.”
Proverbs 29:15 (KJV)
“The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame.”
Proverbs 31:26 (KJV)
“She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness.”
Ephesians 6 (KJV)
“Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.”
Exodus 34:6-7 (NIV)
“And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.”
All posts by wpdev
We need each other
Worrying indicates a basic need of loving people. Love is an active act, it goes beyond just feelings and emotion. This act sows the seed of new love, starting a never-ending cycle; as the saying goes: “What never comes back empty? Love!”
Love (Jesus) in 1 Corinthians 13 is unconditional. We need to confess our sins and be sensitive to our conscience, fully aware that we are sinners and need God’s perfect love in order to have a relationship with Him forever. Similarly, with human love, although the first step of love might seem unconditional, acceptance is not. Human love needs a response for it to flourish and stay alive. Between lovers, it may not be one-sided, because this will invalidate the love.
But when it comes to our relationship with Jesus, I believe that the Holy Spirit is so strong at work among Christians, who have made a real decision for Jesus, that nothing can separate us from God’s love. If we find ourselves far from God, we will be weak. Our human nature fails and we need to be aware of our faults and weaknesses. Since we live in a sinful world, our love is conditional, but we need to aspire to have the perfect love of Christ.
Written by Christian Pälchen
The importance of having an identity in Christ
God created us as socially dependent individuals, meaning that we all need social contact on some level. We like to be members of groups, a part of a company or a family member.
As Christians, we need to know that we are not citizens of this world, but we are ambassadors for Christ, God Himself! Hold that thought in your mind today, while sitting at your desk or going for a walk with your family. May God bless you!
“But our citizenship is in Heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.” Philippians 3:20
“We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.” 2 Corinthians 5:20
Written by Christian Pälchen
Dual Language Learners: Five Tips for Parents
Parents with limited English proficiency have heard different messages about the language-learning needs of their children. Some believe that speaking to their children in their native language may hold them back from learning English or confuse them as they enter preschool and kindergarten. While mastery of English is important for success in school, research is showing that being fluent in more than one language can actually contribute to academic success. Check out our five tips every parent should know about dual language-learning.
Download the PDF here. For the Spanish version click here.
Yet, new research from brain scientists and linguistic experts tells us that a child who learns many words in her native language will have a stronger foundation for learning a second language, like English. 2 Studies also show that exposing a child to two languages during their preschool years may help them learn more efficiently as they grow.
21 Eye-Opening Ways Men and Women Communicate Differently
“The fact is that men and women communicate differently. Although men and women speak the same language, we have differences in priorities, internal processing and behaviour patterns so it is easy to misunderstand, misinterpret or simply not get where the other is coming from.
To increase your ability to persuade, motivate, influence and get along, you must understand the gender communication rules or gender codes for how men and women communicate. This in-turn will help you to build rapport, relationships and connect.
While gender differences may have been widely researched and certain behaviours observed and labelled, it’s never, ever appropriate to stereotype. Every person is an individual and the characteristics for men and women will vary depending on the person.
Based on our research, observations in our training programmes and a number of books such as Debra Tannen’s, You Just Don’t Understand, here are some overall observations of differences between men and women. Understanding these differences can assist you in continuing to build and maintain relationships.”
Read the whole article here
