Children See, Children Do

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 family.

May we nurture our children through the creative teaching

of God's Word.

God's Word is our Instruction Manual

and a Road Map for life.

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.

We should not wait to begin teaching our children

about God. We should teach them when they are very

young that God loves them,

He created them,

and He has a plan for their lives.

May we begin teaching our children to love God

from the very moment of their birth.

What we build on the inside of our children

is far more important

than what we can adorn them with on the outside.

RED & Yellow

Black & White

Children are highly intelligent beings and are very

important to God.

Because of children's genuine humility and innocence...

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 heritage from God.

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

but as a kindness.

God has given parents a sacred duty to teach our children.

Parents have the responsibility of instilling Biblical truths

into our children’s belief system.

We have been entrusted with souls of great value. God has

granted us the awesome privilege and responsibility of

laying a strong Spiritual foundation in our children's lives.

Our little ones need our love and leadership. Our

characteristics, personalities, outlook, and attitude

shape their lives. Our responsibility as adults is to lead

children in the right direction.

Our children need to know God. They need to know the

truth of God's Word. They need to experience a personal

relationship with God, and be equipped and aligned to

follow and serve God throughout their lives.

When the presence of God is evident in our lives our

children seem to gravitate in the same direction.

May we help our children see the difference between

knowing about Jesus and actually following Jesus.

May we pour instruction and discipline into our children

so that they mature into men and women after God's heart.

Parents are to be examples to their

children.

Spiritual instruction stands as one of

the most important aspects to

parenting.

When parents seek direction from God, God will guide us

in our efforts to teach our children. This responsibility

must not be taken lightly. It is going to take deliberate

effort and consistent focus.

It is essential for parents to teach their children

rather than leave this responsibility to the church or others.

We must not allow the school, community, television,

or even Church organizations to establish our children’s

values. Others may help, but parents remain accountable

to God!

We teach our children in two general

ways... through our example and

through our words.

Parents are responsible to teach children through example

and instruction. Our examples add meaning to our words.

We must be diligent and consistent in our efforts to teach

through our example and our words.

Through our example, children learn trust, sacrifice,

service, patience, loyalty, forgiveness, unselfishness,

commitment, sharing, prayer, and love.

We should seek Divine inspiration in all our efforts to

teach.

Let us expect God to reveal things from His heart to ours.

Let us listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit for revelations

and teach our children according to the promptings of the

Holy Spirit. Trust... the Holy Spirit will carry the message

to the hearts of our children.

Parenting is a journey that never ends.

Our impact as parents and spiritual shapers

is very powerful.

Whether our children are infants or

adults, once we have children,

we are parents for life!

If we shirk that responsibility, our

children will be a burden to us and

society.

Just as we plan and act precisely when seeking to

accomplish goals in other spheres of life, we must prepare

ourselves and act intentionally if we want to truly raise our

children to be upright.

Let us strive to raise well-rounded, productive children

who have a reverent fear of God, obey God's

commandments, and who can function as righteously

productive,upright citizens in our society.

If we view children as a trust from God we will put our full

effort into their training and guiding.

Parents should strive to point their

children toward 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 our business to embrace

the opportunity to echo to our children God's divine

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

conversation... born from our inmost and steadfast

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 our own... they are a sacred trust...

a gift from God to parents. As parents we are the

caretakers of our offspring.

God has entrusted children to usfor the shaping and

molding of our children's hearts, minds, and character.

Are we helping our children to know God?

Are we helping our children build and maintain an

enduring and close relationship with God?

What a joyous and pivotal opportunity

parents have been afforded!

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.

Children inherit the genes of their parents and are, in a

sense, a reproduction of the parents; yet, they are separate

from the mother and the father.

The most powerful role models for children

are the parents.

As parents, self-improvement

should be on our minds continuously.

Not only does it set the example

for our childrens lives, as observers,

but it helps us to improve ourselves.

We should try new experiences and broaden our horizons.

This teaches our children to never stop growing as

human beings. There is always something new we can

learn in this life.

As parents and humans...

it is important to remember that we are being observed.

It is much like being on stage 24-7,

as many eyes will be upon parents. Not only will we be a

role model for our children, but for the public, as a whole.

For our neighbor who is having a difficult time as a

parent, we are their role model. For the expectant mother,

for our child’s friend, we are role models. We are even

role models for future generations.

Our actions today might show other parents, and other

children, how to act, how to behave, how to be

compassionate, and how to be kind.

People are watching and learning from us!

We need to take our role of being

a good parent more seriously.

We need to embrace the possibility that we might be

the only positive role model

our children and other children might ever see.

We should allow our children to see how we interact

with others and how we carry ourselves. They can see

that it is essential to practice self-control at all times.

As parents, it is essential for us to be good

listeners. The best leaders listen carefully

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

our children are telling us... they will, in turn,

learn to do likewise.

Our children mirror what we model to them.

The single most important aspect of being your children’s

role model is to always walk the talk.

Actions speak volumes.

“Well done is better than well said.”

– Benjamin Franklin

Parents need to be good stable role models for their

children if they want their children to stay on the straight

and narrow.

There are both privileges and responsibilities

resulting from this gift.

Training children involves three things:

positive instruction, example, and discipline.

Parents... it is our job to raise happy, healthy,

well adjusted children.

To train children in godliness.

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 phrase “Spare the rod, spoil the child” comes from

Proverbs 13:24,

“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 to us.

The saying means that failing to exert authority over a

child is bad for the child's development.

The rod of correction/guidance has long been used as a

symbol of authority.

It is good for parents to set rules, boundaries, and

consequences for children.

Spare the rod of guidance; spoil the child speaks of the

negative consequences of withholding punishment.

But according to the book of Proverbs

there are many positive benefits of correctly applying the

rod of correction/guidance to the seat 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.

Children feel safe when there is continuity and consistency

in daily routines,

and especially when there is a loving atmosphere.

Parents need to stay strong.

Having the discernment and wisdom to help children

through childhood and the teen years does not come easy.

It is a major test for parents; however, children need this.

They need to know the security of boundaries and the

consequences of improper actions.

Parents who don't discipline or set any guidelines for their

children

are likely to produce ill-mannered, whiny, selfish, arrogant,

rude, defiant, and spoiled children.

Parents are not to withhold discipline from a child;

if you punish them with the rod, they will not die.

Punish them with the rod and save them from death.

Proverbs 23:13-14

"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 gentle with children.

He is a Shepherd to the sheep.

The shepherd uses His rod to guide the sheep,

not to beat them!

We should try to keep our children's hearts

and keep them on the right path by praying for God

to convict and protect them.

He is the GREAT Shepherd

and He will work in their lives

in a much more effective manner than we can.

If He chooses to allow some kind of circumstance or

situation in their life,

to keep them in the fold, then so be it!

He is much stronger than human parents.

***The word “Rod” in Proverbs

is the Hebrew word shabat.

Shabat was used to describe the rod a shepherd used

to guide, control, protect and tend their sheep.

The rod was used to gently poke and press the animals

into line and for keeping them out of

dangerous situations.

The shepherd would throw the rod gently

at a sheep to get its attention

or warn it not to do something.

The shepherds would use rods this way

as a tool of discipline.

They did not throw it to hurt the sheep,

just to startle them into compliance.

The shepherd would also throw the rod at a predator

to scare it away from the flock,

or club aggressive animals or snakes with it.

They would throw the rod hard at dangerous creatures,

aiming to wound or kill them rather than just to 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

Our children are like sheep much of the time, clueless.

They can be easily led astray, prone to wander into danger

and in desperate need of protection and direction.

If we don’t shape our kids, they will be shaped by outside

forces that don’t care what shape our kids are in.

When parents are alienated from God,

the results in the lives of their children are,

of course, catastrophic.

Children need to be prodded from time to time

to stay on course.

We have to protect our children, to warn them

by telling what is safe to do and what isn’t,

before they venture out on their own.

Discipline in its simplest form is to teach a child

how to learn self control,

to recognize what are acceptable limits,

to know the boundaries of where to stop.

Children will test the boundaries we set for them,

often deliberately misbehaving just to learn

what our reaction will be.

They will also act obediently and then look to us

for support and praise.

From the time they are very young,

we should train them to be obedient and expect

disciplinary consequences for disobedience.

Those who love well, will discipline well.

And when children know better...

they will do better.

To learn these things,

a child does not need to be put down.

Discipline is not to tear them down,

but to assist in helping them mature.

Discipline is a major part of overall child development.

Discipline takes a firm, consistent hand

in each child's life.

Parents cannot, however, do a half-hearted job

or hope that the problems like:

disrespect, obnoxious behavior, disobedience, greed,

insensitivity to others, dishonesty, anger,

temper tantrums, and abuse toward a parent

will just go away...

they won't!

Discipline is a necessity.

A shepherd has a rod he uses to keep his sheep in line.

In like manner, sometimes God has to use harsh methods

to teach us valuable lessons,

otherwise we wouldn’t progress or mature in the faith.

This should be greatly encouraging to us for it means that

God cares enough to watch over us

and push us in the right direction.

It’s the same as a parent who punishes a child,

not out of some sadistic desire,

but because he/she loves the child

and wants what’s best for their child.

God instructs parents to use a “rod”

for an important reason.

The rod of guidance is a neutral object.

It’s much better to use a switch or a small stick

to punish your child than to use your hand.

You should only use your hand to caress

and to soothe your child–

you don’t want your children growing up in fear

of your hand.

It’s tempting for parents to spontaneously

slap their misbehaving child on the leg,

but that’s a bad habit to begin.

It’s never appropriate

for a parent to use their fists or hands

to beat their children–

that is...

child abuse!

Abuse is never acceptable,

even if a child was being out of order.

Parental love disciplines and corrects,

but never abuses.

A Good role model is someone whose

hindsight and insight can become foresight.

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