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| "Make them known unto thy children and thy children's children." Deuteronomy 4:9. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.
Proverbs 22:6
English Standard Version (ESV)
Child-rearing is a great responsibility. Not all parents are successful and the consequences are often unfortunate. Exposing children to Biblical precepts starting at an early age is important in shaping their later years. Reading Bible based stories and, more importantly, reading directly from the Bible provides a foundation for upright moral behavior. From the beginning of life, children can be guided onto a path that they will be likely to follow into adulthood.
Taking children to church is also helpful. They enjoy the songs and the worship experience. Seeing others praising God and communing together as a unified body sets a good example for them and helps them become aware of the community of the faithful. The Bible study classes can be educational and fun if the church has such programs. Also most churches have other activities for children that provide wholesome fun and good company.
Love at home is the most important part of raising mentally and spiritually healthy children. However don't neglect a healthy social life that includes God and godly people.
Parents, don’t be hard on your children. Raise them properly. Teach them and instruct them about the Lord.
Ephesians 6:4
Contemporary English Version (CEV)
Beautiful post full of wisdom and truth, Arlee.
ReplyDeleteSo true that learning about God should happen first at home and then at church; a lot of people think the church is entirely responsible for teaching their kids about God; it should definitely be a partnership with the parents being the majority of the partnership and the church supporting them in their endeavors.
ReplyDeleteHaving said that, I do enjoy working in children's ministry at church.
betty
It's hard being a parent. My personally philosophy has always been that you can never give your children too much love. The world can be a harsh place, and they'll get knocked down, misunderstood and penalized plenty. Home should be a safe place, where they can make mistakes and learn from them with mercy. It should be the place they want to go, no matter what happens, even if they know they'll get in trouble. Getting in trouble and facing consequences should never equate with being afraid to go home.
ReplyDeletePam-- Thanks!
ReplyDeleteBetty-- so many problems in today's society are due to lack of any kind of positive training at home.
MJ-- Parenting is about sacrifice and acceptance along with a lot of love. I made plenty of mistakes as a parent, but I tried to do as right as I knew how. My daughters all seem better for what they had at home.
Lee