Last week I started a series titled: Are we Giving our Children to the Devil? I pray that it is opening your eyes if they are not already. We cannot entrust the spiritual and moral development of our children to the church or to the Christian school. If we do, we may be in for a big surprise one day! We have to fight for the souls of our children. We cannot settle. And we cannot be spiritually lazy.
Today, I want to share with the you the BEST parenting advice I’ve ever received. Ironically enough, I had an opportunity to apply it in a practical way just last week.
The best parenting advice I’ve ever been given is to: Take your children to the Word. In other words, when disciplining them; when trying to teach them right from wrong; when they come to you with heartache – take them to God’s Word.
Take them to the Word! Teach them, that God’s Word is the ultimate authority for your life and for their life too.
My daughter, Caroline is in the 2ND grade. We are already experiencing the “mean girls.” I can hardly believe it! One of Caroline’s special friends is a neighbor with 2 other girls in the second grade. The four girls have become buddies this school year. They eat lunch and enjoy recess together each day.
However, one of these girls have been on my radar all year. She’s bossy, demanding and refuses to play by the rules. She has all the making of a future mean girl in high school. Caroline has on more than one occasion come home upset because of something that happened on the play ground. For months, I’ve prayed that God would prune these friendships. Last week, we reached a tipping point with this little girl.
As I tucked Caroline into bed last Sunday night, she broke into tears. She didn’t want to go to school the next day and she wanted to change schools so that she wouldn’t have to deal with this little girl any more. As I comforted my daughter, I could hear in the recesses of my heart, “take her to the Word.” “But where Lord,” I silently prayed.
First Corinthians 15:33 came to mind. Why? Because I had just recently seen it during my quiet time. (He’ll do the same for you if you are in His Word on a regular basis. The Holy Spirit will remind us of what He’s taught us. see John 14:26.) Listen to how relevant God is:
“Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.”
I told Caroline that this little girl was corrupting her sweet spirit. That although God loves this other little girl – she is now someone else’s project. Not Caroline’s. Based on what the Bible says, I told her that she was not to eat or play with this little girl anymore. We then proceeded to come up with a plan of who she should eat and play with for the last 2 weeks of school. Her tears dried up and there was finally an answer to the torment that was coming against her little soul.
It was not her mother’s words, but the Words of her Creator that brought peace to her heart.
Take your children to the Word. Show them that the Bible is the final authority. Teach them that the Bible is not just a pretty table ornament – but that it’s our instruction manual for living.
Is the Bible your Instruction Manual in theory or in reality? Our children will know the difference!
Tomorrow: Depravity doesn’t just happen…
God is SO good and faithful. He continues to amaze me at times. I read your post yesterday, just as my older 2 children were coming home from school and little did I know (yet God did) that I would be given an opportunity to APPLY it within minutes of them coming home.
My daughter in the 2nd grade learned a new word at recess and so I was shocked when I heard her say it. I asked the Holy Spirit to led me to a Scripture and He did. Immediately I set both of them down and talked about how the bible says "No unwholesome talk shall come from the mouth" and how we need to honor the Lord with our words and that word doesn't honor Him.
Thanks for once again, allowing the Lord to use you to reach other mothers (and children). 🙂