God has given parents the following responsibilities:
1. Take advantage of every opportunity to show your children your need for Christ
Our children's greatest need is to be born again. The salvation of our children does not depend on what we do as parents. Their salvation is a matter between them and God. However, we are responsible before God to point them to the Savior who can cleanse their hearts.
For many years I believed that if I diligently instructed them in the Scriptures I would ensure their salvation. When my son was seven years old, I realized that I was quoting all the right verses for each sin, and that I could get Him to behave according to the Bible, but only God could reach his heart. He had become an expert in lip honoring. I had instructed him to say the right words, but his face said, “I already told you what you wanted me to say, now leave me alone!”
It was during this time that God taught me to stop trusting in my abilities. I had to stop trying to control his heart and let God act. They were difficult times. It seemed like there was an ocean of distance between us. Today I am very grateful for that time, because it led me to depend more on God. I sought him with all my heart and begged him to restore our relationship and have Wesley receive my instruction as a token of love.
God led me to do two things. First, to spend time alone with him every night. Not to rush. To not spend that time instructing him, but rather sitting next to him and listening to whatever he wanted to tell me. Second, to return to his room every night before falling asleep and pray for him. My prayer every night was for God to touch his heart. And He did it. (To understand how to bring your child to Christ, see Appendix B at the end of the book.)
2. Train them to obey God by honoring and obeying their parents
We must help them obey God by requiring them to obey us. If we do not require obedience from them, we will be a stumbling block to them. Luke 17:2 explains that it would be better to drown in the sea with a millstone on our neck than to cause a child to stumble. When we do not demand obedience from our children, we are robbing them of part of the blessings that God has for them. Ephesians 6:1-3 tells us: “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 'Honor your father and mother—which is the first commandment with a promise—so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy a long life on earth.'”
3. Teach them wisdom
This applies to saved children and to unsaved children. Although the Bible teaches that no one who rejects Christ is truly wise, we are given the mandate to instruct and train our children with wisdom for daily living.
4. Train them in justice
Brenda Payne says, “We can't make our children righteous, but we can teach them to do the right thing.” Paul told Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:7-8: “Reject profane legends and other such myths. Rather, exercise yourself in piety, for although physical exercise brings some benefit, piety is useful for everything, since it includes a promise not only for the present life but also for the one to come.” It is important that our children have the habit of thinking and acting correctly. They need to understand that by demonstrating God's justice, they are making His light shine in a dark world. It is one of the ways they can show the power of Christ to others.
I tried to explain to my five-year-old daughter the many ways we can share our faith, but I don't think she quite understood the concept. One day he decided that he was going to follow Mom's advice and that he was going to share his faith with some neighbors. The moment seemed ideal, his method phenomenal and his motivation... well, only God can judge hearts. There are some kids in our neighborhood who love to get on Alex's nerves (which isn't that hard). One day they started their war of words to annoy her... and they succeeded. From their patio they were shouting things at her to annoy her. I'm sure Alex was debating whether he should “repay evil for evil” or follow Mom's advice and be a witness for Jesus. In the end he decided to walk to the fence that divided both patios, and with his hands on his waist and his face held high, he began to sing to them: “Us-te-des-no-co-no-dine-a-Je-sús ”. Although I couldn't see his face, something tells me he also stuck his tongue out at them after the song ended. Obviously we have to continue working with the way in which he has to share his faith.
5. Pray for them
We must cover all our efforts with prayer. We can obey God in instructing and teaching our children, but it is God who transforms hearts.
6. Be an example of piety
We must teach by example. Many years ago, a friend wrote me a note that said: “Your words speak and so do your steps, but your steps speak louder than your words.”
J. Vernon McGee tells a story about a father who had a jar of whiskey in his barn. Every morning he went out and had a drink of whiskey . One day he was leaving, as usual, but this time someone was after him. Looking back, she saw her little boy following her footsteps in the snow. The father asked him: “Son, what are you doing?” The boy replied: “I am following your footsteps.” The father sent the son home, entered his barn, and smashed the bottle of whiskey .
Someone is following your footsteps. Your child learns more from what he sees you do, not from what he hears you say. He will follow your example. In doing so, will you be a doer of the Word or just a hearer? Will he be faithful or hypocritical? Perhaps one of the most sobering verses regarding our responsibility to instruct our children is Luke 6:40: “A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who has completed his learning reaches the highest level of knowledge.” his teacher".
Extracted from the book "Don't make me count to three!" by Ginger Hubbard
