Parents Who Make an Impact

 

Being a parent is a huge responsibility.  It appears that many parents want time to fly by so their children will be out of the house already (possibly due to a rebellious attitude or always asking for money), while it really is so important to make the most of every moment and day you have with your children.  To invest in their lives.  To help shape their character.  To compliment them and guide them along with having a healthy self-esteem (and Christ-esteem above all!).  To teach them between right and wrong.  To shower them with "I love you!"  To offer a listening ear and win the heart of your children from the time they are little so they value your opinion and wisdom instead of detesting it and turning a deaf ear as they grow older because you didn't build a foundation of good communication, discipline, and respect from the time of their infancy, basically.  To train them to be ambassadors and true disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ through the teaching of Biblical principles, instilling a God honoring faith in them from the time they are young through studying the Bible and Apologetics resources that show why the Bible is credible and the Christian faith indeed true.

There are so many things that must be in place for a child to turn out "right".  Parents, from the time their children are born, must monitor their entertainment and friend choices, who they are allowed to be around, what they are exposed to, their computer and TV time and whether or not they will have a computer or television set in their room (or even own a smartphone!), where they spend time, and even their diet plan.  While some parents might fall on the excuse, "My kid just eats more than the average baby so I feed him or her more than infants their age since they are still hungry" or "My child might not be really thin, but at least they have meals regularly!"  Please realize that children don't have the capacity to reason and ponder what will happen if they continue having unhealthy food and the consequences of bad health and being overweight it will bring to them as they age.  Children need guidance and a proper diet plan because in a child's mind, "If it tastes good, I want it" really gets played out within time as having a low self esteem or being made fun of for being overweight (even by a few extra pounds).  I remember when I was fourteen or fifteen years old and had gained about twelve pounds from the last time I had seen a relative, she said in passing, "Wow, you've put on weight!" or something to this effect and it stayed with me for many, many years.

All it takes is a few (or one) hurtful comment or negative word spoken in passing to warp a child's self esteem and plant seeds of insecurity or being dissatisfied with their appearance (or personality, sense of humor, strengths or weaknesses).

Parents who desire to honor God through their parenting and raise children who are soldiers for the army and kingdom of God and not mere casualties like the countless youth in society today (who are without direction, look up to celebrities who at one glance are obvious bad influences, and who see no problem with having sex in their teens or trying heroin, being sexually intimate without technically losing their virginity {oral sex is sex too!}, filling their minds with meaningless distractions or harmful song lyrics and perverted TV shows and believe that if everyone is doing it, what is the problem?)...must take the necessary steps in living a "set-apart" life for God by teaching God's word to your children at all times (Deuteronomy 6: 1-9).  Do not grow weary in bringing them to church or spending time in prayer with them before they fall asleep at night, or teaching them the importance of seeking after God from a young age or having family Bible Studies regardless if your children seem disinterested or distracted during these special times.  I encourage and exhort you to speak of God and His word at every opportunity, seek to have life discussions with your children and impart wisdom to them over topics like Purity, having a healthy self esteem, the importance of not putting themselves down, Pornography, being responsible with their time, etc.  If you worry about how you will start a conversation with your children about sex or pornography, here is a great article that should be helpful.  Covenant Eyes has many great and helpful articles over how to discuss the issue of porn with your child or teen (and even how to have these conversations if you discover your child or adolescent is already viewing pornography and engaging in masturbation).  You might also find these articles beneficial to read.

So much is at stake if parents don't take the years they have with their children and make the most of that time.

Parents, never underestimate the influence you can make in your children's lives through you making the time to invest in their lives and teach them about God, His word, and how to be a God honoring, respectful, respectable, productive citizen of society.

I delight in the quote, "The world may be a better place because I made a difference in the life of a child."

Be encouraged!  Rely upon God for help and strength.  Commit each of your children to the Lord, asking that His perfect will and plan will prevail in all aspects of their lives.  And trust in God's wisdom and ability to take care of, guide, and provide for your children even after you are gone.

What is the most challenging aspect of being a parent?  What is one of your greatest joys in being a parent?