Spiritual Growth of Children

I am becoming more amazed at the depth of parenting the older my children get and for the awesome responsibility we have towards their spiritual growth. Psalm 78:5-8 says, "For He established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel, which He commanded our fathers that they should teach them to their children. That the generation to come might know, even the children yet to be born, that they may arise and tell them to their children, that they should put their confidence in God and not forget the works of God, but to keep His commandments. And not be like their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation that did not prepare its heart and whose spirit was not faithful to God." What a great reminder of what we as parents need to be doing. We need to be teaching our children about God and what He's done for us. To train them up to know Him so that they may one day take what they've learned and impart it upon their children.

I think it's also important to break whatever chain that has bound past generations in your family. I pray daily that my children can be freed from the chain of divorce, alcoholism, drugs and so forth that have kept past generations bound in our family. I pray that the link stops with us. Deuteronomy 4:9 says, "Only give heed to yourself and keep your soul diligently, so that you do not forget the things which your eyes have seen and they do not depart from your heart all the days of you life; but make them known to your sons and your grandsons." This means that we too need to keep our selves in good spiritual shape. To be diligent in our walk with the Lord so our children can learn by our example to walk with the same diligence not forgetting what God has done for them. By this we hope to help keep our children faithful to the Lord.

Krista Jones
2.26.08