We all know that raising children is a great responsibility, and probably one of the most important works that we will ever do in our lives. It seems that no matter what our religious convictions, this in one fact that most parents agree on. But in my opinion this responsibility seems to carry an even greater weight when we recognize that it is not our own children that we are raising, but Our Father's which He has so graciously loaned to us. How special to know that He has entrusted them into our care, to raise according to His Word, to teach them His love, and how to honor Him in all that they do!
It is amazing how God created us in such a way that we learn the foundations of everything else that we will learn when we are young and our hearts are tender. We must guard these tender hearts with such vigor, and teach them the ways of God before they see the ways of this world.
But how do we do this? How do we teach our children to love the Lord? How do we teach them to obey God first, and to mold our wills into what He wants for us? We show them.
Children learn best with their eyes. They are always watching us. They watch how we go about our work. Do we work with a happy heart, or do we do it begrudgingly? They watch how we interact with our spouse. Are we kind to each other? Do we treat our husbands with respect? Or do we nag and argue? Do we obey him as he leads our family, or do we try and manipulate him through whining and complaining? Do we show kindness to strangers? Are we compassionate? What about the way we speak to the children, do we correct them lovingly and consistently, or do we snap and raise our voices? Are we good stewards of our resources? Do we take good care of our belongings and strive to not be wasteful? Do our children see that we put things away when we are done with them, and clean up if we see a mess? Do our children see us neatly fold the laundry and put it away in its drawers, or do they see us toss the clean clothes in a basket and hope that we can find what we need later? Do they see us lovingly prepare their meals, or haphazardly throw something together at the last minute?
Many of these things may seem like small meaningless tasks, but in seeing how we complete them our children are learning so much! Watching us neatly care for their clothes teaches them to treat their belongings with care. If they see us put things nicely in their places, they will learn to do the same. When they see the love and care that goes into our tasks around the home, we are teaching them that all of the work that we do is for the glory of God!
And seeing the way that we interact as spouses teaches them so much. When their father treat their mother with love, kindness and chivalry, they learn to also treat ladies in this way. When they watch their father open doors for mommy, or pull out her chair at dinner, or lift something heavy for her, they learn to be gentlemen. When they see their mother treat their daddy with respect and reverence, they learn to also treat him in this manner. When they see that she obeys him, they learn to obey authority.
When children see the love of God in all that you do, they learn to love God. When we show them that we act a certain way because we love God, they learn to love God as well. Children naturally have a desire to love God and to please their parents, and this is something that the world teaches them to turn their backs to this desire.
Children learn far more from watching us than from hearing what we say. They are with us every day, and see us in our weak moments, when we are tired or stressed, when someone has hurt us, and when we are disappointed. How we act in these moments will shape the way that our children see us, and they will learn from this. This is a great responsibility and requires a true change in our hearts and not just a change in actions when we are around others.
But oh the reward when our children learn the right things! When our sons treat their mothers with chivalry, and when daughters are polite young ladies! When our children love the Lord and earnestly seek His will! When our children pray and desire to hear His Word! What greater joy could a parent have!
Proverbs 22:6~
"Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it."
A.M.D.G.
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