AS PARENTS
Neal Pollard
"Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward" (Psalm 127:3). No gift or asset exceeds their value, the value of children! And, no, they do not always drink their drinks "spill-free," make 100s on their tests, make us proud by their conduct, or get along with others just so. Yet, who would really trade them in?
Parents must be a present force for good in their children's lives! They must seriously and joyfully undertake the privilege parenting presents. Adults should regularly have a physical to ascertain their fitness. In the same way, parents should have a regular spiritual to ascertain their fitness as parents.
Upon examination, some parents find their:
HEAD in the clouds! Some children could never be guilty of any wrongdoing under any circumstances. The teachers and others children with whom the child has problems are always to blame. Really?!
MIND in the gutter. Where will many children view their first pornography or nudity on the screen? Yes, in the home. Mom? Dad? Are we guarding our lips (Titus 2:8) and hearts (Proverbs 4:23)?
NOSE to the grindstone! Sixty-hour workweeks, ten hours in communte, forty-two hours for sleep, and parents have left, at most, eight hours per day for their children. If one bathes and dresses for work, chews his meals with care, buys groceries, pays bills, and watches the average daily dose of TV, how much time do the kids get?
Down in the MOUTH! It is true, children imitate the behavior modeled before them. In an age of grumbling and complaining, parents must teach by example that such is not the way God wants to act (cf. Acts 2:14).
EYES on the prize! Spiritual focus is vital for successful parenting to occur (2 Corinthians 5:7). When parents emphasize Christ above all, emulate Christ rather than any other, and esteem heaven rather than earth, children being to see things more clearly, too.
The Great Physician says it all (parents should pay extra special attention) when he says, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind" (Matthew 22:37). Parents, let's always work on "shaping up" for our children's sakes!