Leaving a church can be a hard decision for many of us, especially if we have been there for a long time. And we are warned about constantly criticizing, complaining, or being divisive within the church body. But is there a time when we must disagree? If so, how should it be done? And are there times when we should leave a church?
Also, we will look at the question of spanking. Should physical discipline be a part of today’s parenting? And if you spank, what should be your heart attitude when doing so?
Have you ever wondered if God has a formula for parenting? Some of us may have thought so and done our best to raise our children “in the discipline and admonition of the Lord,” only to have them wander from the faith or fail to make a genuine commitment to the Lord. This often leaves us confused, discouraged, and wondering if there is something we missed. There’s an important principle to remember in today’s reading from Psalms that may help.
And from our New Testament reading, we’ll see that “Salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone”—This truth is central to our faith and must be strongly guarded and taught.
By what are your children known? Do you see tendencies that, if not dealt with biblically, will produce attitudes and actions that are not pleasing to God? What will those attitudes look like if carried into adulthood? Could our lack of wise parenting hinder them as spouses and in other relationships? Today’s reading in Proverbs speaks to this issue. But good parenting also includes teaching our children to understand history, economics, and civic responsibility. This is not only important to our nation, wherever we live, but it is our responsibility before God.
And speaking of our nation, how do you view what is going on in our country? Do you believe God is chastising or pruning our nation? Could He be turning up the heat because of our rejection of Him and His truth? And are you praying about what you see happening or merely complaining?
Are you inside God’s circle of blessings or have you put yourself on the outside? When we put ourselves outside of God’s circle of blessings, we risk shortening our lives and opening ourselves to God’s discipline.
And what about your children? Are you teaching them how to stay inside that circle of blessings? Today’s post has a simple illustration to help them (and you) understand why it’s so important.
And from our Old Testament reading:
God gave Saul the privilege of being Israel’s first king. He blessed him in many ways including giving him victory in battle, loyal men like the future king David, and a wise son in Jonathan. But Saul is a great example of one man’s failure to stay inside God’s circle of blessings.
Nothing breaks a parent’s heart more than to see our children make foolish choices that can result in consequences for years to come. But there are some things we can do early on so God doesn’t have to allow more serious consequences later. What are some of those things?
When it comes to Christian parenting, I don’t believe there has ever been a time when it has been more challenging to make wise decisions. Goals that parents have had for generations may need to be rethought in light of the educational, professional, social, and business environment today.
In the area of education, I know I find it harder and harder these days to rejoice with friends when they tell me their son or daughter has received a scholarship or been accepted into a secular college or university. And frankly, some so-called Christian colleges are not much better. I’ve seen too many young people wooed away from the truth by worldly, liberal professors with unbiblical and in many cases anti-biblical agendas.
The combination of liberal secular ideologies wrapped in deceptive, yet appealing, packaging and our failure to properly prepare many of our young people for the all-out war for their souls has cost our families and the body of Christ dearly.
So, when it comes to Christian parenting, what do we need to consider?
I counsel many people who struggle because of words that were spoken to them as children. Certainly, God can use that for good as He helps them find their identity in Him, but how sad when our kids must overcome our parenting, and not remember it with gratitude. How about you? Do you spend most of your time criticizing and correcting your children or do you remember to give encouragement, as well? Your kids will be grown before you know it. How will they remember you? Even if they know you love them, do they believe you like them?
Are you playing around with some sinful thought or thinking about something from your past that you shouldn’t? Sin is not something to be played with. In our pride, we think we can handle it and it won’t get a hold on us. But sin has invisible hooks that can drag us down and take us places we never intended to go.
And sin doesn’t just hurt us personally. It always affects others, especially those closest to us. Today we’ll see the effects of polygamy and a lack of parental and priestly discipline. But we’ll also see the faithfulness of God in the life of one godly woman.
It’s hard to imagine that anyone would intentionally set their children up for failure. But sometimes, we can do so without even realizing it by trying to give them everything they want. When we do, instead of being genuinely happy, they often become petulant, spoiled children. The added danger is that they can grow up to be selfish adults and even get a wrong view of God.
How does your parenting help or hinder your children’s understanding of God? How does it prepare them for marriage, work, and family relationships later in life?
When it comes to parenting, few of us are prepared for the hard work and confusion that accompanies the job. We get caught up in the excitement of the first sonogram, getting the nursery ready, and buying all those cute little bibs and blankets. It’s not until we’re sleep-deprived and walking the floor with a crying baby that we start to wonder, am I doing something wrong? But gradually, day by day, we muddle through, making the best parenting decisions we can.
And the challenges don’t go away after those first few months and years. So, it’s important to ask ourselves, what overall views and ideas inform and influence the way we parent? Could a different backstory make our parenting easier and more meaningful?
