Devotional Time with God

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.

Being a parent, God has given me the authority over my child.  However, that does not mean I can abuse that authority.  On the contrary, I have to raise my child to love God and the people around her.

The first step is parent control.  When a child is small, she doesn’t know any better so I have to teach her everything there’s to know about being kind, gentle, forgiving, patient, thinking, helpful, and discerning.

All of that is to equip her to have self control. She is to know what is right and wrong.  She will know enough knowledge to survive in this world.

Ultimately, she will surrender to God because He’s the final authority over her.  God needs to control her.  He sets the commands and laws of our lives.  She’ll need to keep her eyes towards heaven, for that’s where we, Christ followers, will end up.

That’s our purpose in life.

God commands me to teach my child to love God will all our heart, soul, and strength.   It’s something that I must do for God, for it is good for me, as well as my children.

Just as God has a purpose for me, I must intentionally raise my children to have a purpose, in God.

God’s way fit in every home, every parent, and every child.

It’s not easy being a parent.  God is here to help.  By loving Him first, nothing is as tough as it seems.