Devotional Time with God

Being a parent is full of life’s trials.  I just don’t know what to expect from my child. As a toddler, she’s adventurous, curious, and brave.  She’ll try to explore everything and do anything, on her own!  When she discovered she could run, she ran – a lot!  As a 40-year old, it’s tough for me to keep up!  One thing I observed she likes to do is to let go of my hand when crossing the street, or walking on the parking lot.  Both my wife and I have this huge fear of her being struck by a car.  It was a common occurrence, we heard so many stories about accidents with children and cars.  I’m so worried, I’ll raise my voice, and sometimes spank my child, so that she’ll listen and hold on to my hand while crossing the street.

Then I realized, God is doing the same to me!  He would tell me with a “loud voice” and “spanking” to get my attention that danger is ahead.  He’ll tell me through grief and pain.  They’re the loudest signal God can ever send to me.  He wants to hold on to my hands while I cross that busy street, or unpredictable parking lot.  He knows what’s ahead because He’s bigger, and I’m not.

Once He gets a hold of me, I don’t have to worry any more!  I have to let God hold me.

He’s in control.  Always will be!

In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

Phillipians 1:4-6

It’s a subject the mainstream media have already bombarded the youth of America.  The message is clear: sexual freedom.  Anyone is free to have sex whenever they want, whoever they want, and worry about the consequences later (ie. abortion).  The media taught young girls it’s cool to lose their virginity early.  For young boys, it’s a right of passage and a sign of manhood.  In the end, as adults, it’s just part of “growing up”.

For me, I know for a fact, having sex out of context of marriage, was a destructive move.  When both me and my girlfriend were not ready, it brought a lot of emotional baggage.  The future seemed unclear because we were just focused on the moment.  My own parents were not restricting my sexual freedom.  I was allowed to learn my mistakes.  I didn’t get any punishment – only empty warnings.

In hindsight, now that I’m a parent, I need to get involved in my daughter’s search of her sexual identity.  Even though she is 4 right now, I still  have to watch how I treat and influence her.  As a Dad, I represent the man in the family, and let her know men are not the enemy, but also the provider of love and affection.  I must be there when she has questions about boys/men.

These are the things I must insist on my child:

• Two distinct sex: man and woman.  There can’t be same sex dating, let alone marriage!
• Both parents are wise.  Our instructions are valuable, and must be kept in heart.
• Moral integrity.  Biblical principles are important.  No one can turn her away from them.
• Don’t let flesh control our actions.  Avoid perversity.  Be faithful!
• Meet the needs of the spouse.  Be the best companion and friend.

It’s easy to do whatever I want.  Everything is permissible.  God gave us free will.

But, is it beneficial?  Is it right?  Is it according to God’s laws and commands?

Raising a child with a sense of personal integrity is a tough thing to do nowadays.  This world has turned sarcastic and cynical.  The world is teaching kids to speak with a double meanings.  The society doesn’t have a clear standard on what’s right and what’s wrong.  The world teaches there’s really no one to trust – not even God!

I must teach my child to speak carefully.  Listen more, speak less.  When she does speak, she must choose her words carefully.  Always to build.  Always in kindness.  Always thinking.

From a wise mind comes wise speech; the words of the wise are persuasive. Kind words are like honey — sweet to the soul and healthy for the body.

Proverbs 16:23-24

God gave us an instruction manual to follow: the Bible.  We can live our lives with God’s integrity, if I just read it constantly and abide by it.  I have to plant His words in my heart so my private life reflects my public life.

I have to run back to God.  The same goes for child.

We are all selfish, by nature. It takes a lot discipline, love, and God’s grace to be kind, sharing, and helpful person.  I thank God every day I’m able to teach my daughter how to listen and share with her friends.  I try to teach her to have awareness of others around her, including towards the adults.  She needs to be aware of other people’s troubles and problems.

She’s a very strong willed child and have short attention span, so I struggle with teaching her to listen attentively.  I say my breath prayers all the time to keep me calm and patient.  Sometimes, I lose my temper, and it’s important I show her that I’m humble to ask for forgiveness.

But all in all, it’s worth the trouble.  I love my daughter so much that I’ll sacrifice my time and effort to teach her this virtue.  God wants to help me to build her up, just as He does to me.

Lord, it’s not easy, going against my nature, to think about other people.  We are all selfish, and always think about ourselves.  Help me deal with this daily struggle.  Help me to help others, especially my daughter, to become a builder of relationships, an instrument of kindness, and a foundation based on Jesus’ teachings and laws.  Thank you for the life you’ve given us.  Amen.

There’s a lot of competition in this world.  Product ads on TV, magazines, or billboards always say that we don’t have enough.  They always say we are not good enough.  There’s an inflated standard that we are deceptively told to aspire to.

Being better than we are is a good goal, especially for my child.  I want her to be better than me.  I want her to be more successful than me.  However, all of that improvement has to be for something greater than herself.  It has to be for God and others.

I have to show her to develop her gifts.  I need to help her discover her gifts.  I have to give her all of the opportunities.  She will not be successful in everything, but she will shine in some things.  Those will be God’s given talent.  Those will be her purpose and ministry.  As she develop her talent and confidence, she’ll be capable to take on mountains!

I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong— that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith.

Romans 1:11-12

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