Raising Godly Children

Do you take the time often to think about what kind of adults you are raising your child to be? Do you plan how you can reach that goal? Do you have a vision? Or are you only allowing each day to happen in our busy, over booked world?

This is a very important thing for a parent to think about. It was God's plan when he gave you children to raise. Malachi 2:15 tells us so: "You were united to your wife by the Lord. In God's wise plan, when you married, the two of you became one person in his sight. And what does he want? Godly children from your union."

Godly children, that's what God wants. When Christian parents do not take this seriously, or even when they decide to limit the size of their families, they are decreasing the warriors that God needs to work here on earth for him.

So how, as parents, do we raise Godly children? Deuteronomy 11:18-21 tells us: "Keep these (God's) commandments carefully in mind...Teach them to your children. Talk about them when you are sitting at home, when you are out walking, at bedtime, and before breakfast! Write them upon the doors of your house, and upon your gates, so as long as there is sky above the earth you and your children will enjoy the good life awaiting you in the land the Lord has promised you."

The Lord wants us to be continually teaching our children. We should always be looking for ways we can incorporate a godly lesson into our children's lives. To do this, you must plan. To do this, you must watch what is going into their minds.

Guard what your children are reading, watching, and who they are associating with. Do not let anyone convince you that you are too careful. Don't let them tell you your children won't 'grow up like everyone else'. If you DO hear this, then answer them, "Praise the Lord! I don't WANT my children to grow up like everyone else! I want my children to be strangers in this world, like the Bible says." (1 Peter 2:11).

Guard what your children are reading. We become what we put in our minds. There are so many good things out there, and so many bad. The Bible has much to say about witchcraft, magic and sorcery, and all of it is bad. Don't let people convince you that books that have these things in them are "Christian analogies". Flee them. And as you flee, grab your children! A child's mind starts out pure and sweet, never let the ugly, profane, wicked, and impure enter it as far as you have the power to protect. You can do much for keeping your child's mind centered on the Lord with this one thing. Buy them good character building books. A good rule is to look for things written before 1960. That's not hard and fast, but something to begin to guide you. Look for books with a good work ethic, good morals, and children who obey their parents, and don't make fun of them, or get anything over on them.

Watch what your children see on TV and in movies. That includes commercials and trailers. We had a TV until about 10 years ago, and things were getting so bad then, I can only imagine how they must be now. I stopped my children from watching a cartoon where one of the main characters burped out songs. Yes, it was funny, but was this the kind of thing I wanted my children imitating? Would this kind of thing bring about good character? Is it a good Christian testimony? Another thing was that I began to notice that sometimes really impure commercials would air during a decent cartoon. It wasn't long before I decided we just didn't need it at all.

Another thing I noticed in the newer children's shows and movies is that there is always just a little bit of sexual innuendo somewhere. Maybe this is to keep the adults interested? Children pick up more than we think. And they do NOT need to be exposed to this.

Watch who your children are associating with. The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 15:33 "Do not be mislead, bad companions corrupt good morals." It also says in Proverbs 13:20 "He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm." The last thing your child needs to be is popular. The last thing he needs is to spend the lion's share of his time with his peers, who are not wise. Your child needs to be with YOU most of his waking hours. YOU are wiser, and should be the one who, like Deuteronomy says, is walking, sitting, eating and spending time with them.

In closing, remember the scripture in Proverbs 22:6 "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it." To train, you must have a plan, or a vision. Pray, and the Lord will give you wisdom!