#1 Principle For Raising Children - Part II

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Jeremiah%209:24&version=NIV1984

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark%2012:28-31&version=NIV1984

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark+8:36&version=NIV1984

Yesterday I shared my #1 Principle For Raising Children = Prepare them for Heaven.  I also mentioned how, as Christians, we believe that the most important thing in life is knowing God.  Putting our faith in Jesus as our Savior.  Living for Him as Lord.  The same goes for our children.  I continue:

In Matthew 16:26 Jesus asked, “For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?  Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?”  The point, as it relates to raising children, is that if they grow up and become financially successful, famous, and live full, happy lives, yet die without God, we have failed.  We will have failed to help them understand the seriousness of sin.  And the amazing forgiveness that is available through the cross.  We will have failed to help them realize that living for Jesus can be the most wonderful, exciting, fulfilling thing they could ever possibly hope to do with their lives.

Now I know that not every child is going to put their faith in Jesus, even if they have the best parents in the world.  Faith is a choice and not every child chooses to make that choice.  Just the same, how much guilt will we feel as parents if we never talked to our children about spiritual matters?  If we never told them about Jesus and His great love for them?  If we never told them about how wonderful it is to have a relationship with Him?  And how rich, deep, and rewarding that is?  If we did all of the other things (teach them good manners, responsibility, honesty, a good work ethic, etc.) and neglected the most important part of life?  And eternity?  This is a place that no parent wants to go.

Now that I have made my case, allow me to give you some advantages that this #1 Principle of parenting has for us:

1 - We know what we’re trying to build into our child

Years ago a good friend of mine, Dave Fitch, gave me some helpful advice about training others.  He said to start with the end result.  And then work backwards.  So if the goal is to see our children one day end up in Heaven, what needs to happen?  Obviously, they need to have a relationship with God.  How’s that going to happen?  If this is the starring point of everything that’s important in life, are we going to leave this up to a Sunday School teacher?  Or the Bible instructor at Vacation Bible School?  Or a youth pastor?  Absolutely not!  We are going to do our very best to make sure that we take the opportunity to present the Gospel to our children.  Now while we can’t and shouldn’t force them to make such a decision, if we believe that it is the most important decision they will ever make in life, shouldn’t it come from our lips?  Of course it should!  And what else do they have to know after this?  What about the importance of reading the Bible?  And praying?  Being thankful?  Obeying God?  Another very important aspect is for you to go with them, and be connected, to a good, local church.  So, you see, if we are going to raise children the right way, we need to know where we are going with them.  When we start out with the goal of our children making it to Heaven, and work backwards from there, what we need to teach our children becomes relatively easy to identify.

2 - It helps keep us focused

Life is long.  It is difficult to keep the main thing the main thing.  Is parenting any different?  I can tell you from experience that there are a number of detours on the road to parenting.  Careers.  Busyness.  Fatigue.  Lack of training.  And even if we overcome these obstacles there are still more lurking in the shadows.  Putting all of our parenting emphasis on getting good grades.  Or making the ‘team’.  Or having a good work ethic.  Certainly these are all good things to emphasize to our children.  But when we emphasize these to the exclusion of having a relationship with God and living for Him, we are already going down the wrong road.  Keeping in mind that we are raising our children for Heaven helps us to stay focused.  It helps us keep sight of the ultimate goal.  And not get tragically sidetracked somewhere along the way.

3 - It helps us remember that our children are ultimately the Lord’s.

I will never forget a number of years ago as I sat with the parents of a young child outside an emergency room.  It is a place that no parent ever expects to be.  But every years thousands of parents end up right there.  I remember the mom asking me about whether things were going to work out for her son?  (They did, praise God!).  In that moment she realized a truth that most parents either don’t know or forget too easily - our children are not ours.  They are on loan to us from God.  As such, He has the right to take them back whenever He wants.  No questions asked.  No explanation given.  Keeping in mind that we are raising our children for Heaven helps us to remember this truth.  That our children were given to us by God.  And that it is our responsibility to train them in His ways.  Because we never know when He may suddenly take them back.

So my contention is that the #1 Principle for raising children is to prepare them for Heaven.  I am not going to be dogmatic on this.  As I said, this is just my personal opinion.  But I have a hard time envisioning anything taking precedence over it.  Bottom line is that, as parents, we have our children’s very best interests at heart.  So let’s make sure, above all else, that we address their need for a Savior.  And living for Him to the best of their ability.  All of their days.  Everything else is of secondary importance.

Lord, I thank you for the privilege of raising 3 children for You.  And now for having the privilege of influencing 5 grandchildren for You.  I pray for their parents.  I pray for Christian parents everywhere.  That they would understand that their primary job in parenting is introducing them to You.  To help their children see their need of a Savior.  To live out the Christ-life before their children so that they have a wonderful example to follow right there in their own home.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.