Our children are the most precious 


part of our heritage.

Children inherit their parents' DNA and are, 


in some ways, a reproduction of the parents;


 nonetheless, they are distinct from the mother


 and father. 

Who do we consider as role models 


for our children?


A parent is their child’s first


 teacher and should remain their 


best teacher throughout life. 


Parents are the most powerful role 


models for children.



As parents, we should constantly strive to


 improve ourselves.As observers, it not only


 sets an example for our children's lives, but it


 also allows us to grow ourselves.



We need to try new things and extend our horizons.


 This tells our children that they should never stop 


growing as people. In this life, there is always 


something new to learn.



As parents and humans, we must keep in mind


 that we are being watched. It's similar to being on 


stage 24 hours a day, seven days a week.


For our neighbor who is having a difficult


 time as a parent, we are their role model.  We 


are role models for the expectant woman and 


our child's friend. Even future generations look


 up to us.



Our acts today may teach other parents and 


children how to act, how to be compassionate, 


and how to be kind.



People are looking at us


 and learning from us!


We must take our duty as good parents very


 seriously. We must embrace the possibility that 


we may be the only positive role model that our 


children and other children might ever see.



We should show our children how we interact with


 others and conduct ourselves. They can understand


 how important it is to maintain self-control at all 


times.



It is critical for us to be good listeners as parents. 


The finest leaders listen intently and speak much 


less. As we open our minds and ears to what our 


children are saying, they will learn to do the same.



Our children reflect what we model for them. The


 most crucial component of becoming a role model


 for your children is to always walk the talk.



Actions speak louder than words.


"Well done is better than well said." 


Benjamin Franklin



If parents want their children to stay on the 


straight and narrow, they must be good stable 


role models themselves.

We have been given the 


gift of children. 



God has placed upon us the great 


opportunity and duty of teaching 


our children to know, love, and 


follow God.

According to the scriptures, what we do today 


has a direct impact on the multigenerational 


cycle of family traits, beliefs, and actions - for 


better or worse. 


Psalm 78:5-8, Exodus 20:5-6



Passing on a strong faith to our children begins


 with us having a strong faith, modeling the 


gospel in our relationships and our interactions


 with those closest to us.



Some of us need to break negative cycles that 


may have begun with our own upbringing in order 


to leave a better legacy for the next generation.

God has provided us with 


His Word.


Basic traditional roles of being a parent are:

To nurture and educate children, discipline 

them, manage the home, and financially

support the family.


Parents show their children love, acceptance, 


appreciation, encouragement, and direction. They 


provide the most intimate setting for children's 


nurturing and protection as they develop their 


personalities and identities, as well as as they 


mature physically, intellectually, emotionally, 


and socially.



Parents set boundaries, enforce rules, enforce 


discipline, set limits, establish and enforce 


consequences, hold children accountable for their


 actions, and instill morals in them.



We provide our children the direction they need 


so they can develop, grow, and mature.



May we nurture our children through the creative

teachings of God's Word.

We must not wait to begin teaching our children 


about God. We should teach them when they are very 


young that God loves them, that God created them, 


and that God has a plan for their lives.


May we begin teaching our children to love God


from the very moment of their birth.


God's Word serves as both


an Instruction Manual and 


a Road Map for lives.


God's Word guides us through the pitfalls and


plateaus, the peaks and valleys, the highs and 


lows, and the ebb and flow of raising children.

What we build on the inside of 


our children is far more


significant than what we can 


adorn them with on the outside.

Children tend to adopt their parents' values.


According to Proverbs 22:6, when children 


learn right from wrong at home under the 


nurturing, loving upbringing of their parents, 


they tend to imitate their parents' beliefs. While 


there are no certainties, because every child has 


free will, children who love their parents' 


company are significantly more likely to adopt


 their parents' faith!



This is why the Bible urges parents not to


"provoke your children to anger," but rather to


 "raise them in the instruction and discipline of God."


Ephesians 6:4

RED & Yellow
Black & White

Children are highly intelligent beings and are very 

valuable to God. Because of the genuine humility and 

innocence of children, Jesus used the little children 

as an example to teach us about faith, greatness,

 humility, and God's love. He encouraged us to

 welcome children as if we were welcoming Him.

Children are a gift from God.

 

God gives children not as a punishment nor as a burden, 


but as a blessing.

God has entrusted us with the precious job of teaching 


our children. It is our obligation as parents to instill


Biblical principles in our children's belief systems.


We have been entrusted with precious souls. 


God has given us the incredible opportunity


 and responsibility of creating a strong Spiritual 


foundation in the lives of our children. 



Our children require our love and guidance. 


Their lives are shaped by our characteristics, 


personalities, viewpoints, and attitudes. 



As adults, it is our obligation to guide children 


in the right direction.



Our children require a relationship with God. 


They must understand the truth of God's Word. 


They must have a personal relationship with God 


and be equipped and aligned to follow and serve 


God for the rest of their lives.



When God is present in our lives, our children


 appear to gravitate in the same direction.


Every believing parent wishes for their child 


to embrace the faith and develop strong spiritual


 roots. According to studies, more than half of 


those raised in God-centered homes will abandon


 Faith by the time they reach their adolescence. 


One factor is that parents frequently "outsource" 


their children's spiritual training to the church.



While a strong church is essential, God intended


 the family to be the primary place where faith is


cultivated.


May we assist our children in distinguishing between


knowing about Jesus and genuinely following Jesus.



May we instill wisdom and discipline in our children 


so that they grow into God-fearing men and women,


 after God's heart.

Parents must set a good example for their children. 


One of the most crucial components of parenting 


is spiritual training. When parents seek God's 


guidance, God will direct our efforts to teach our


 children. This is not a responsibility to be taken 


lightly. It will require conscious work and 


constant focus.

Our children are growing up in a 


culture that frequently exposes


 them to misinformation. 



An hour or two a week at church is insignificant 


in comparison to the hundreds of hours spent with


 media, school, and friends. It cannot compete 


with the fallen nature of people, which frequently


 desires to rebel against what is good, true, and 


beautiful.



It is the responsibility of parents to provide their 


children with corrected "lenses" of truth so that 


they can better navigate the deceitful highways


 of life.

Rather than delegating this obligation to the church 


or others, it is critical for parents to teach their


 children.


We must not allow our children's values to be


 established by school, community, television, 


or even church organizations. Others may assist,


 but parents will answer to God... they must 


remain accountable to God!

Children learn by watching and mimicking the


 behaviors of parents and guardians making it


 easier for alienating parents to corrupt the views


 and beliefs of a child. Children develop into 


adults through a combination of their own inherent


 nature (DNA) and nurture (parenting), but when


 they are consistently bombarded by negative 


feelings of hatred it an extremely difficult and 


lengthy process to reverse the effects.



If we adults don’t give them the tools, they will


 not connect with these people who don’t look like


 them, don’t sound like them, and don’t think like


 them. This failure to connect with someone who is


 not like us, who is, in our minds, “other” than us, is


 often dealt with in fairy tales and science fiction, 


where the solutions can be graphic and cruel and the


lessons learned painful.


Our children can only learn what we teach 


them in a manner that is understandable to them.


 In other words, we must customize our approach


 to each individual's personality, learning style, 


and stage of development. Children are generally 


classified into three stages, which should guide 


the ways we can use for discussing our faith and 


beliefs at home.



  • Small children are all ears. They'll believe it 


because mom or dad said it. Young children 


absorb what we tell them, so this is an excellent


 time to teach them fundamental Scriptures.



  • About age eight to early teens, children no longer


 take what we say at face value. They have 


progressed beyond blind acceptance and are 


ready for deeper insight. 



They may question or even argue with us. Children

 need to know what we believe during this season. 

They also require assistance in comprehending

 the reasoning behind those beliefs. 


Seize the opportunity! Take time for spiritual 


talks and to instill faith and spiritual practices 


into the fabric of our family. 


Deuteronomy 6:4-9



  • From early adolescence until young adulthood,


we can inspire, encourage, question, and educate. 


We have no way to force feed them. We can assist


 them in clearly articulating their beliefs, challenging


 their thinking, and reminding them of the "basics" 


learned throughout their  impressionable years. 

We teach our children in two


 general ways... 


through our example and 


through our words. 


It is the responsibility of parents to teach their 


children through example and instruction. Our 


examples help to make our words more 


meaningful.



We must be diligent and consistent in our 


efforts to teach others through our actions 


and words.



Children learn trust, sacrifice, service, 


patience, dedication, forgiveness, 


unselfishness, determination, generosity, 


prayer, and love from our examples.



In all of our endeavors to teach, we should


 seek Divine inspiration. Allow God to disclose


 things from His heart to ours. Let us listen to 


the Holy Spirit's voice for insights and teach 


our children according to the Holy Spirit's 


promptings. Trust, the Holy Spirit will deliver 


the word to minds and hearts.

Parenting is a never-ending journey. Our influence


 as parents and spiritual shapers is enormous.


If we have children, whether they are 


infants or adults, 


we are parents for life! 


If we abandon that obligation, our children


 could become a burden to both us and society.

We must prepare ourselves and act intentionally if we 


want to properly raise our children to be upright, just 


as we plan, think, and act when attempting to achieve


goals in other areas of life.



Let us endeavor to create well-rounded, productive


 children who reverently worship God, follow God's


 commandments, and can function as productive, 


upright citizens in our community.



If we regard children as a gift from God, we will


 devote our complete attention to their education 


and guidance.

Parents should make every effort


to point their children to God.

One of the first things we need to do in helping our 


children build a relationship with God is to begin talking 


about God when they first begin to comprehend. 


As they mature, we can turn to Proverbs. The entire 


Book of Proverbs explains God’s instructions


 on how to live!



As parents... we should make it a point to embrace


the opportunity to echo to our children God's precious


 and valuable Word. This should be a natural part of our 


conversation... born from our deep and abiding


relationship with God.


Jesus called a little child to Him, and 


placed the child among them, and He said: 


“Truly I tell you, unless you change and become


 like little children, you will never enter the 


kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes 


the lowly position of this child is the greatest 


in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever


 welcomes one such child in My Name 


welcomes Me.


  — Matthew 18:1-5

 

Children are not ours;


they are a sacred trust gifted to parents by God. 


We are the caretakers of our children as parents.



God has committed children to us for the 


training and molding of their hearts, brains, 


and personalities.



Are we assisting our children 


in coming to know God?



Are we assisting our children in developing 


and maintaining a lasting and close relationship


 with God?



What a wonderful and pivotal opportunity 


parents have been afforded!


A loving and positive relationship with both 


of his or her parents is something that every 


child is entitled to. Parents who are divorced or 


otherwise estranged from one another are 


expected to foster and support their child's 


relationship with the other parent. Parents who 


alienate their child are frequently so overcome 


with their own emotions that they fail to realize 


that they are also alienating their ex-partner.



A parent runs the risk of emotionally and 


psychologically harming their child if they teach


 and promote hatred of the other parent and their


 new spouse or partner. Unfortunately, a child can


 experience long-lasting and significant negative 


effects from constant exposure to and encouragement 


of hatred and animosity.

On Children

by Kahlil Gibran


Your children are not your children.

They are the sons and daughters of Life’s 

longing for itself.


They come through you but not from you,

And though they are with you yet they belong 

not to you. You may give them your love but 

not your thoughts.For they have their own

thoughts.


You may house their bodies but not their souls,


For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow,

which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.


You may strive to be like them, 


but seek not to make them like you.


For life goes not backward nor tarries with 


yesterday.You are the bows from which your 


children as living arrows are sent forth.



The archer sees the mark upon the path of the 

infinite, and He bends you with His might that 

His arrows may go swift and far.


Let your bending in the archer's hand be for


 gladness; For even as He loves the arrow 


that flies, so He loves also the bow that is stable.

There are both privileges and responsibilities


resulting from this gift.


Positive instruction, example, and discipline 

are the three components of child development.

It is our responsibility as parents to nurture kind, 


healthy, well adjusted children. To instill godliness


in our children.


Proverbs 23:13-14 tells us to 


"Withhold not correction from the child."


He who withholds his rod hates his son,


But he who loves him disciplines him diligently.


Proverbs 13:24

SPARE THE ROD AND SPOIL THE CHILD

The expression "spare the rod, spoil the child" 


is derived from Proverbs 13:24, which states, 


"He who spares the rod hates his son, but he


 who loves him is careful to discipline him."



God uses discipline to reveal our sin. The 


expression suggests that failing to exercise 


authority over a children is detrimental to the


 child's growth.



Correction/guidance rods have long been 


employed as symbols of authority. It is 


beneficial for parents to establish rules, 


boundaries, and consequences for their 


children.



The phrase "spare the rod of correction; spoil 


the child" refers to the negative consequences


 of withholding discipline.



However, according to the book of Proverbs,


 there are major benefits to correctly applying


 the rod of correction/guidance to the source of 


the problem.



Proverbs 3:12 says,

“Whom the Lord loves He reproves, even 

as a father, but what does this really mean?

Withhold not correction from the child.


When there is consistency and stability in daily


 routines, and especially when there is a loving


 atmosphere, children feel safe. 



Parents must maintain 


their resolve.



Having the insight and ability to steer children 


through childhood and adolescence is not 


easy. It is a significant test for parents, but


children need it.



They must understand the importance of 


boundaries and the consequences of


 inappropriate behavior.



Parents who do not discipline or set rules for 


their children are more likely to have children 


that are ill-mannered, temperamental, selfish, 


self centered, impolite, defiant, and spoiled.



Parents must not withhold discipline from their 


children; if they are chastised with the rod, they


 will not die.



Save their lives by disciplining them with


 the rod.


23:13-14 Proverbs


 "This language was designed to motivate

 overly permissive parents,who are afraid of 

damaging young children with any kind

 of discipline, or of making rules and 

enforcing them.


There is no call here for abuse.

Loving discipline does not destroy rebellious

 children; it does them a big favor."

 The rod and reproof gives wisdom:

but a child left to himself brings his 

mother to shame.

Proverbs 29:15

Jesus was kind to children. 


He is the sheep's Shepherd. 


The Shepherd guides the sheep with


 His rod, not to beat them!



We should pray for God to convict and 


safeguard our children in order to keep their


 hearts and minds on the right track.  He is the


 GREAT Shepherd, and He will operate far 


more effectively in their lives than we can. If


 He chooses to keep them in the fold through 


some circumstance or event in their lives, so be 


it! He is far more powerful than human parents.


The Hebrew word shabat is translated as 


"Rod" in Proverbs.


Shabat was the name given to the rod used by 


shepherds to direct, control, guard, and tend their


 sheep. The rod was used to gently poke and


 press the animals into line, as well as to keep 


them out of potentially harmful situations.

To get a sheep's attention or to warn it not to do 


something, the shepherd would gently poke the


 rod at it.


Shepherds would use rods in this manner as a 


discipline tool. They didn't carry it to hurt the 


sheep; they merely wanted to startle them into


 compliance.



The shepherd would throw the rod at a predator


 to scare it away from the flock, or he would use


 it to club aggressive animals like snakes.



They would hurl the rod at dangerous species, 


aiming to injure or kill them rather than simply 


alert them.



The shepherd rarely used the rod to “beat” a lamb;

instead, he firmly struck their hindquarters

to get them to go in the right direction. The sheep 

came to fear the rod without fearing the shepherd.


If a lamb wandered off beyond his reach, the 

shepherd tossed the stick in front of the lamb,

and it would send the lamb scurrying back into 

the flock.


Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child;

The rod of discipline will remove it far from him.

Proverbs 22:15

Much of the time, our children are oblivious,


like sheep.They are easily misled, prone to 


wandering into danger, and in serious need 


of care and guidance. If we do not shape our


 children, they will be influenced by external


 forces who do not care what shape our


children are in.


When parents are estranged from God, the 


consequences in their children's lives are, 


of course, disastrous.



To stay on track, children must 


be poked from time to time.



We must protect our children and warn them about


 what is and isn't safe to do before they venture out


 on their own.

Discipline, in its most basic form, is teaching


 a child self-control, recognizing what are 


appropriate limits, and knowing where to


 stop.


Children will challenge the boundaries we 


establish for them, frequently misbehaving on


 purpose to see how we react. They will also act 


obediently and then seek our approval and


 appreciation.



We should teach children to be 


responsible and respectable 


from a young age and expect 


disciplinary repercussions for


 noncompliance.



Those who love well will be able to discipline 


well. 


When children know better, 


they will do better!



A child does not need to be put



 down to learn these things.

 


Discipline is not meant to break



 people down, but rather to aid



in their development.




Discipline is an important component of 


overall child development. Discipline must


 be applied consistently and firmly in each


child's life.



Parents, on the other hand, cannot work 


half-heartedly or think that problems such 


as disrespect, rude behavior, noncompliance, 


greed, insensitivity to others, dishonesty,


 rage, temper tantrums, and abuse toward a


parent would simply disappear... they 


will not!



Discipline is necessary.


A shepherd uses a rod to keep his flock in order. 


Similarly, God may have to employ unpleasant


 tactics to teach us valuable lessons; otherwise, 


we would not advance or evolve in our faith.



This should be very encouraging to us because


 it shows that God cares enough to watch over


 us and guide us in the right direction.



It's the same as a parent punishing a child not


 out of some sadistic urge, but because he or she


 loves the child and wants the best for them.


God instructs parents to use a “rod” for an


 important reason.



The rod of guidance is a neutral object. 


To punish our children, a switch or a little 


stick is preferable to our hand.



We should only use our hand to 



caress and soothe our child; we



 don't want our children to be 



afraid of our hand as they



 grow up.




It’s tempting for parents to spontaneously 


slap their misbehaving child on the leg,


but that’s a bad habit to form in the 


first place.


It is never acceptable for a parent 


to hit their children with their 


fists or hands; this is child abuse!

Abuse is never acceptable,


even if a child was being out



 of order. 



Parental love disciplines



 and corrects, but it 



never abuses.

A good role model is someone 


who can turn hindsight and insight


 into foresight.

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