We go through tough times with our kids. It can feel like we face the impossible, especially during their teenage years. But then there are treasured moments we will remember for the rest of our lives. Unfortunately, today, the world tries to make children look like a problem or something that changes your life for the worse.
As parents and as Christians, we know that the Word is clear: children are not a hindrance or burden. They are a blessing. They are our responsibility.
“Unless the Lord builds a house,
They who build it labor in vain;
Unless the Lord guards a city,
The watchman stays awake in vain.
“It is futile for you to rise up early,
To stay up late,
To eat the bread of painful labor;
This is how He gives to His beloved sleep.
“Behold, children are a gift of the Lord,
The fruit of the womb is a reward.
“Like arrows in the hand of a warrior,
So are the children of one’s youth.
“Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them;
They will not be ashamed
When they speak with their enemies in the gate.”
-Psalms 127:1-5 [NASB]
Your Success in Parenting Hinges on The Lord
When you think of the sin in the world and what’s going on in Ukraine, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed about your children.
We are overwhelmed by the idea of raising a little soul: a physical and spiritual life. We should feel the total weight because life is in our hands. But you are not alone. God is supporting you and wants to work through you.
At the beginning of the chapter, God talks about a house and protection being worthless unless God is in the middle of it. You need the Lord, and it is impossible to build a life without Him and expect to raise a godly household.
Let me remind you of your primary responsibility: whether you’re a parent or a grandparent, or a children’s worker at church, our primary job is to shepherd the heart of children— to show them the glory of God through a relationship with His son.
Your job is to get them to know their savior, Jesus Christ, and teach them how He wants them to treat other people: with kindness and respect. The goal is Jesus. He takes care of many other things on His own through the power of the Spirit.
Ask God to help you build your home. Stop trying to build your life and your success on your own. Ask God to protect your children and your family. He’s the only one that can do it. Ask God to give the provision you need.
When I say ask, I mean pray— a conversation with your Father. You need to be praying for your children, no matter their age. I try to pray for my children every day. Do I miss some days? Yeah, I do. But when I pray for my children, I pray for them specifically, not in general, that they would come to know Jesus Christ themselves. I pray for their desires. I pray for their sins and struggles and their future spouse.
Pray specifically for your children every day. You need God’s help, and you need God’s direction, so don’t do it without Him. You can also receive God’s help through reading His Word. God’s given you a lot of help in the Bible. I believe it’s full of everything that you could need to be the parent that God created you to be. God has provided you His Word. Read it and teach it to your children.
It also takes a village, as the saying goes. You are the village, church. We are a family, setting an example among all the little ones here.
At Coggin, we leverage every phase from infants until they go off to college (or on their own). We teach them about Jesus so they can understand, and they are raised to be adults that love Christ and live for Him.
I have a passion for children because God has a passion for children.
Children are a Blessing from God
In Psalm 127, we learn that children are a blessing from the Lord. We are given the opportunity to guide and shape those beautiful kids. Parenting can be one of the most rewarding things you can do in this world.
Not only are children a gift and a blessing from God, but they are a legacy. Your children are God’s legacy on this Earth, and when you’re gone, your children will be your legacy of faith shown to the rest of the world.
They are going to run this place after us. My question is, what are you preparing them to do? What’s the most important thing that you tell your children? Is it something nationalistic? Is it something political? Is it something financial? If so, you’re missing the most important thing. God and faith in the Gospel have to be number one above everything else.
Your legacy of faith will help your children more than any amount of money that you’ve saved for them. Yes, it’s a blessing to have a financial inheritance, but the inheritance of faith, grace, forgiveness, peace, and joy; that inheritance is much better. Why? Because it lasts much longer.
Not only are children a blessing from God, but they’re also a great responsibility. We must prepare our children and grandchildren.
Prepare Your Children to Fly Straight for God’s Glory
This world is at war. I’m not talking about Ukraine and Russia. The enemy is on the attack. You are the archer. You are the warrior. Your children, if you’ll raise them in the ways of the Lord, are going to be arrows that fight the enemy. One day they’re going to enter this battlefield without you. You are launching that arrow (your child) to be on the battlefield filled with the enemy. Are your children ready for that? Is preparation your goal?
Archery is not easy. It takes time, and it takes practice. No Arrow has ever flown on its own. It takes you crafting that arrow. It takes you sharpening the head. It requires real skill and experience. You have to be involved in the process.
You must train and prepare your child. What does this mean?; spending time with your children, sharpening those broadheads, building arrows, and taking advantage of the time that you have. When they go to bed at night, are you praying with them? Are you seizing that time and teaching your children?
Are you taking your children to church? This is the best place they can grow with their church family. They are trained in the Lord and meet other children doing the same.
Take Action for Our Children
Our children’s ministry is large. And I don’t see it shrinking. We are responsible for helping and caring for the children in our homes and those in this church family.
We’re already too large for the number of volunteers we currently have. We’re only going to grow. What does that mean for you? If God’s leading you to do it, we need your help.
Our volunteers help train these children, and we need more. It also helps us grow the ministry to welcome more children and families to our church. We can rescue more souls. How great is that?
