Seven Tips To Raising Godly Children
1. Love them with all your heart
(Titus 2:4 - that they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children,)
The love you have for your child will make an incalculable impact on his or her life. It will help your child develop the proper sense of self worth. They will carry it with them even when you make a mistake or they do. Without true love for your child, he or she will be handicap in life. It will be harder for them to love others; to have a proper relationship with others. It will also give them a distorted view of God since our love is based on His.
2. Teach them God’s Word
(Deut. 6:6-9 - 6 “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. 8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.)
The surest way to raise a good child is to teach them the Good Book. Even from the womb babies ought to be taught the Bible; it is a habit to form early on. As they grow the lessons and material can be adjusted to suit their needs. If parents wait until their children are 10, 12, 0r 14, it is way too late. In fact, from my observations and what others tell me, if you wait much beyond the first year or two a great deal is lost that may never be recovered.
(Prov. 13:24 - He who spares his rod hates his son, But he who loves him disciplines him promptly. )
No one likes a brat, unless it is their own. And, even it is their own, there is much grief. The Bible teaches parents to discipline their children. This would include “positive” discipline that does teaching and gives rewards for good behavior. Most parents do not have a problem with this. Where the difficulty comes is giving “negative” discipline. This may be taking away privileges or spanking (not beating). A father that loves his child will chasten him to develop him into a good person (Heb. 12:5-11).
4. Take them to church
(Psa. 122:1 - I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go into the house of the LORD.”)
Going to church consistently teaches the children it is a priority in life. It exposes them to the best people in the world, Christians. They can see that others are striving to live for God; others who have troubles but press on; others who are not all that different from them. Bible classes and worship assemblies gives opportunities for them to learn more about God’s Word. Some parents start out doing this, but when the children resist stop saying to force them to go to church will only make it that much worse. Is that how they treat giving them or making them take a bath?
5. Regulate their friends
(Prov. 13:20 - He who walks with wise men will be wise, But the companion of fools will be destroyed.)
The companions our children spend time with will have a great impact on their life. Their attitude, outlook, personality, language, dress, hopes, dreams, and more can all be affected by their friends. It is a God-given duty for parents to keep a close eye on such things. Children may see it as intrusive, especially in the teenage years, but it is necessary. Secretly, some will be thankful, while others may look back years later and see the value of such oversight.
6. Dress them appropriately
(Prov. 7:10 - And there a woman met him, With the attire of a harlot, and a crafty heart. )
Like it or not, clothing sends a message. Our appearance can say put-together, clean-cut, business-like, laid-back, smooth-talker, self-centered, and many other things. Parents who love their children want the clothing they wear to send the right message to their peers and adults. No mother or father should dress their daughter like a prostitute (again, Prov. 7:10). They should not allow their son to walk around looking like a hip-hop “artist” who cannot keep his pants up without holding them (you know what I mean). Rather, we ought to dress our children to send the message of self-respect, decent, and modest. This will help establish a mindset and, hopefully, a life-long habit.
7. Get them involved in good works
(Titus 2:14 - who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works. )
Children need to see the importance of doing good. They will learn to appreciate what they have as you help the less fortunate. They will see you fulfilling God’s command to love your neighbor (Lk. 10:25-37). It will develop a heart of compassion and help them understand God’s care for us. This should also include kindness toward your parents. As you children grow and see this being done, it will stick with them when they are older…and you are too. In other words, in later years you can reap the benefits of raising good children.
By Steven F. Deaton
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