Dear Parents,
In as much as you want your children to surpass your achievements and realize their dreams as well as yours, it is mandatory that you play the roles that have been carved out for you from the very moment you became parents. It is a thing of joy to share in God's creative ability - the function of procreation. But in as much as it gives maximum joy to behold the very life you have brought forth into the world, it also behoves on you the greatest and tasking responsibility of moulding these lives into becoming model citizens of tomorrow.
In raising these these great minds the Godly way, here are some tips that would help:
- Love Your Children Real Good:-
Loving your children the same way God loves you makes it easier to raise them in the right way. Once you love them unconditionally, you realize that you want to leave a better version of yourself for posterity. You willingly give up your dreams to support theirs. You check their faults, chisel away the imperfections in their human nature till they glitter as products of your undying love. You rid yourself of selfishness because you are willing to share all you have to build the Children you love.
- Do Not Fail To Teach Them The Word Of God :-
The word of God is our compass and beacon in life. It guides and shapes our lives. We take our instructions in life from the word of God which is the Bible. This should be taught early in life so that the children will not depart from it. As they listen to the stories in the Bible, they model their lives after those of the Biblical characters. They aspire to live like the Godly children of ages past.
- Do Not Do Away With Discipline :-
Raising Godly children requires knowing when to reward and discipline at the appropriate times. Do not overindulge your children to the extent they become social misfits. Remember that the family is the first agent of socialization and the errors of society are thrust upon it by the family.
- Take The Little Ones To Church:-
Do not hesitate to take your children to church. Going to church exposes them to the word of God. They get to fellowship with other brethren and see how people who have the same challenges as they do strive towards perfection. They do not give up or look for an easy way to escape worldly troubles. Rather, they strive on towards the heavenly mark. Going to church regularly helps them get their priorities right. They see it as mandatory and necessary for fulfillment in life.
- Check The Kind Of Company They Keep:-
The kind of friends children keep can either make or mar them. Their behaviour, attitude, worldview, dressing, dreams, language etc has a way of rubbing off on them. Some might be pushed into negative acts by peer pressure. It is the duty of the parents to check the kind of friends their children keep and advise against some negative lifestyles. They can also go ahead to know the parents of the children of their friends.
- Dress Them The Way You Want Them To Be Addressed :-
Christian parents ought to dress their children in a way that spells decency, self-respect and modesty to the world. The Christian child should be dressed in a way that commands maximum respect from the people who address them. They are not to dress like boys and girls of loose characters and questionable morals.
- Get Them To Do Good Acts:-
This has to do with the importance of doing good and not just speaking it or preaching it. It emphasizes the value of actions over words. Yes, it is true that the Christian faith is built by hearing the word of God but it is our actions that announce us as Christians to the rest of the world. A Godly child can be asked to give some part of his toys to another child that does not have, should be involved in visiting motherless babies' homes or orphanages, praying for those in the hospital or sick etc.
And The Lord Will Bless All Parents Mightily When They Positively Nurture, Care And Train The Children The Lord Has Put In Their Charge Aright. Amen.