Devotional Time with God

A child needs to take a risk in this world.   Not the destructive kind, but a healthy one.  Risks such as not going along with the crowd, not easily influenced by the media (or what is “cool”).  Healthy risk is doing what God says, despite of worldly opinions.

With risk, there’s adventure.  Trying something new and sometimes fail at it.  Having the willingness to change for the better, according to God’s will, is another reason to keep going.  My child don’t always stay in her own comfort zone.  God will always challenge her to be someone greater.

My job, as a parent, is to encourage and support her, with the help of the holy spirit:

If you love me, obey my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you.

John 14:15-17

It’s an adventure of a lifetime.

Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Does she not light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’  In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.

Luke 15:8-10

God cares about each and everyone of us.  He has created me for a reason.  He has created my child for a purpose.  I’m important in God’s eyes – and so is my daughter.

As a Dad, I have a special role in the family, and it’s to be a spiritual leader.  I’m to be a reflection of God’s love.  I have to be one who’s there to observe and compliment my child, whether it’s at the dinner table, or the playground, whenever she does good.

I know she is indeed unique, valuable, and special.

Jesus saves.  He saves me, and He wants saves the world.  This means He wants to save my child, too.  We’re all sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

However, God values our free-will.  He won’t force me, and my child, to accept Jesus.  We must choose to have that personal relationship with Him.  Just like me, I want my child to have her sins removed and have an eternal home in heaven.

Everyone’s precious in God’s eyes.

Lord, thank you for my daughter.  Thank you for the precious gift you’ve given me.  Not only you sent us Jesus to die on the cross to save us, you gave us a child to love.  I want to bring her to you.  To know you, like I know you.  To have you as her personal savior.  To have you a compass for life, as she navigates in this ever increasingly troubled world.  We have our sights set on the reward in heaven.  Please guide us, increase our love, and steady our faith.  Amen.

It’s human nature to lie.  My inclination is to lie to get what I want.  I don’t tell the truth (or half-truth) to cover up my mistakes or shortcomings.  It’s no different with my child.  She doesn’t have to be taught to lie and she already knows how to do it!

To tell the truth, at all times, is difficult to do.  It’s a discipline.  It requires effort. It requires accountability.  God is watching.

It would be easier if every time I lie, God will send a lightning bolt, or something, to correct me.  However, God does want to bless me, and he won’t do it if I constantly lie.  In fact, He’ll settle the score if I am not repentant.  There will always be a day of reckoning.

A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who pours out lies will perish.

Proverbs 19:9

As a parent, I must model honesty in my family.  Especially to my child.  There needs to be sincerity in all apologies.  There needs to be fairness in all the things we do.

I have to be involved.  I have to engage my kid to ensure she knows I care, and I’m paying attention.   God only wants honest people, and that’s who I want to bring up.

The truth shall make us free.

Emotions are the #1 cause of division in every relationships, and it’s no exception with parents and children.  In particular, anger is not particularly useful in parenting.

Yet, I still find myself raise my voice, feel angry, and scold my child a lot. By nature, I’m hot headed and bad tempered.  I can see it bubble up all the time.  I pray to God that I have the strength to keep my anger in bay.

I have to continue to try my absolute best, to take myself out of emotional situations.  I need to be able to step back, calm myself down, and re-assess the situation.  I need to bring my problems to God and have Him increase the love within me.

I need to set a good example for my family.  I don’t want to end up raising another hot-tempered person.  I don’t want to be an emotional parent.  I just want to be a loving and caring parent.

A patient man has great understanding, but a quick-tempered man displays folly.

Proverbs 14:29

A gentle response defuses anger, but a sharp tongue kindles a temper-fire. — Hot tempers start fights; a calm, cool spirit keeps the peace.

Proverbs 15:1,18

A good person’s mouth is a clear fountain of wisdom; a foul mouth is a stagnant swamp. — The speech of a good person clears the air; the words of the wicked pollute it.

Proverbs 10:31,32

Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.

Jeremiah 1:5

God said He has a purpose for my child even before she was born!  She’s been chosen, just like me, for His great purpose.  God chose me to raise her, and that’s my responsibility.  It’s my job to direct her, in accordance to God’s directions.  With His divine light, she will not drift off.  I must provide those barriers on the sides of her path, so she knows exactly where she has to go – straight on to heaven.

For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.

Romans 3:23

None of us are perfect.  Especially in parenting.

I have to live up to God’s standards because He’s perfect.  It means I have to raise my child to His standards also.  I make mistakes all the time.  I don’t have all of the answers.  I don’t know it all.  As a man, I must be more sensitive to this fact.  Men seldom apologize for their mistakes.

My child doesn’t always behave properly.  She doesn’t always do what I say, nor what’s expected of her.

Boundaries are needed, both for parents and children.  My child has boundaries she never crosses (age appropriate), such as lying, stealing, drugs, sex, etc.  My boundaries must also be clear and consistent: no anger, no abuse, etc.  I must be predictable.

It’s human nature to please self.  It’s in my nature to defend my child, even if she’s wrong.  Sometimes, I have to stop defending her as a victim.  My child can be wrong.  She must suffer the consequences if she’s wrong.

With our lack of perfection, it’s good to know that God has our backs.  In all of this, prayer is my best defense.  In all of things, bring it to God.  I fall short, but God picks me up, and lets me continue on my way to perfection.

Parenting is a job made from heaven.    I’m her guardian and it’s my job to raise her to be a Godly person.  God gave me my child so I can raise her  up for God’s eternal purpose.

There are dangerous and unacceptable views of this world.  Those thoughts, attitudes, and works are going against God’s principles and laws.  The world’s view is not what I want my child to see.  If she’s to bear the fruit of the Holy Spirit, she’ll need to follow God.

The only thing acceptable in this house is what’s acceptable to God.  He is perfect.  I want His standards in this family.

I must raise my child to have eternity in mind.

Do not love the world, nor the things in the world.  If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

1 John 2:15

One of the first thing I do when I get back from work is to kiss my wife and hug my child.  Always.  It’s a tradition that started with Dad because he used to be away, a lot.  I remembered I was so happy to finally see him coming home from business trips, that I would run and hug him.   I didn’t know exactly how it felt until my child does the same for me.

Children needs love.  Lots of it!  My daughter certainly couldn’t get enough of it.  I have to give her everything, from attention, compliments, and love.  She needs to know that I love her.  By hugging and kissing her, it’s the least I can do.

It’s also easier to discipline my child with love.  In every disciplinary action, there’s always a purpose: To protect, out of love.   She will know my expectations.

There are times when she will stumble.  As parents, we’ll be there to pick her back up.  I’ll never give up on her because I love her!

Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from Him.

Psalm 127:3

My daughter is smart and cunning.  She knows when there’s a division between us, she will go straight for it.  She’ll make it painfully obvious that we’re inconsistent.  The disagreement will cause me to get into a heated argument with my wife.  It’s not healthy, at all!

A house divided will never stand.

As parents, my wife and I have to be in the same mind and attitude towards my child.  There must not be favoritism.  We must use the same approach in raising her.  When there’s a question on an issue, I have to discuss it with my wife, and visa versa.

There must be unity between us.