No, I am not taking about your faith. I am talking about your children’s faith. The Holy Spirit makes it clear that your children are born enemies of God. (Ephesians 2:1-3) He tells you your children were conceived in sin and come forth from the womb speaking lies. (Psalm 51 & 58) Romans is plain that all have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God, that all people suppress the truth of God. (Chapters 3 & 1) The outlook for our children appears dark. But take heart. Paul’s word of encouragement to fathers in Ephesians 6:4 brings hope to families. Paul begins with urging fathers not to encourage anger in their children. Rather, he says […]
Monthly Archives: February 2014
25 posts
Imagine for a moment that you lived as many Christians do on this planet. Suppose you lived in an area that was in a constant state of warfare. This is would be where there is guerrilla warfare, or tribal disputes, or ethnic hatred or prolonged civil war. In these types of warfare, Christians are often acceptable targets. For families living in one of these media-neglected war zones, going outside to play is an act of reckless endangerment. You realize that the instructions you must give your children are instructions of life and death. If your kids fail to follow your directions to the letter they may pay with their life. An inviting, innocent looking object lying the ground may […]
We have looked at the parent/child relationship as well as the husband’s relationship to the family. Now let’s take a look at the role the wife is to play in the marriage. In Genesis 1:27-28 we read that God created man, a creature unique in all of creation; he created man as male and female. Humans are unique because we were created in the image of God. Both male and female were given the same mandate at creation, the same mission statement. God did something else distinctive with the creation of man: He delayed the creation of the woman, Eve, until after Adam was created and had been given specific tasks to accomplish without her. By doing things in this […]
Children are born with a sharply defined sense of justice. The problem comes when justice is deployed as a weapon of self-defense. As in – “I hit her because she hit me first.” “I took the toy because he had it all morning.” Yes, justice. Our kids can be all about justice applied to others, but not so much for themselves. If left unchecked the quest for personal justice can ultimately lead to destruction. Feelings that one has been wronged can lead to heart-patterns of vengeance and self-pity. The personal quest for justice blinds your children from seeing their own sin, therefore, from seeing their need for Christ. The truth is that all of us, including our children, are guilty […]
Humility: the pathway to worship How many people do you think of as less significant than yourself? Sound a little crass? Okay, how about this? Are you irritated by people who don’t do things as you think they should be done? Do you consistently think of how you can serve others when a problem arises or do you just feel put out? These are indications of self-importance. If we are to pursue the attitude of Christ, then we will not be dominated with irritation at the actions of those around us. We will think first how we can serve, rather than how we are not being served. Christ is the exact picture of humility. He laid aside his own well-being […]