The only healthy one-sided relationship is the parent-infant relationship, for obvious reasons.
- Your marriage is your most important earthly relationship. But your kids are your most important responsibility!
- Your child depends on you for food, clothing, housing and education.
- Your child looks to you for love, acceptance, value, validation.
- Your child needs from you spiritual leadership, truth, example, discipline, wisdom and grace.
IMMERSE
Even Moses didn’t get a do-over raising his kids.
The Midrash (a type of Hebrew commentary from the oral history of Judaism) says that when Moses asked for his sons to take his place God told him: “Your sons sat idly and were not involved with Torah.”
Having kids around Godly things isn’t enough.
Immerse them in the church (other Christians)
Immerse them at home
Dip or immerse? Proverbs 22:6 isn’t about dipping, it’s about immersing!
PRAY
Ways to pray:
– Prayer “closet”
– Proactive prayer
– Prayer language
– Pleading the blood on the front porch
– Effectually, fervently
– Without ceasing
– Without wavering
– Job prayer – Job 1:5
EXAMPLE
Make sure your kids hear you pray
Make sure they watch you worship – worship together
Let them see you sacrifice time & money
They will know your heart!
Church 29:11 