Parents: How Involved Are You in Your Children's Lives?

 

 

 

Parents...

 

 

How involved are you in the lives of your children?  Do you regularly communicate with them and ask about their struggles, temptations, worries, concerns, friendships, longings, and what is on their hearts?  Do you monitor their entertainment choices and know each of their friends or the people they are dating?  Do you daily invest in your relationships with your kids by offering a listening ear, needed discipline and correction, guidance, wisdom, love, and teaching them about God, His word, and making sure to shape their worldview Biblically?

 

 

It is rough being a young person in today's world and I am truly convinced that kids need their parent's intervention, teaching, and support.

 

 

Like a quote I read a while ago brilliantly states it, "If you don't teach your kids to follow Christ, the world will teach them not to."

 

 

Parents have a great responsibility to mold and shape a child's character and enable them to grow up to be productive, God-honoring, Christ-centered, Bible-esteeming, respectful, respectable, dependable, trustworthy, integrity-filled citizens of society.

 

 

Please fight for your family and don't allow work or hobbies or the pursuit of wealth and trivial pursuits to steal away precious quality time with your children.

 

 

I am positive many would agree that if more parents were involved in their children's lives and sought to have an on-going relationship and genuine, heartfelt conversations with them on a regular basis, building and maintaining the relationship, teaching them and preparing them to face a dark, wretched, selfish, hostile-toward-God culture & society...the world at large would be a better place.


Timothy Keller said, "The only way to get quality time is to have tons and tons of quantity time and wait for the quality time to sort of pick up.  And that's the way it is with God.  You have got to spend time seeking Him, you've got to spend time reading His word, you've got to spend time in corporate worship.  You have to.  And if you give Him enough time, if you're seeking Him, if you're reflecting on Him, if you're worshipping Him, if you're praying to Him, of course you're not going to get these incredible times of weeping and glorious worship...but that's the only way you'll ever get them."

 

 

Please seek to raise a "Jonathan Edwards" instead of a typical Hollywood celebrity.  As we think about the brevity of life and the reality of death, may we say with joy...

 

 

 

"Only One Life"

by C. T. Studd

 

Two little lines I heard one day,

Traveling along life's busy way;

Bringing conviction to my heart,

And from my mind would not depart;

Only one life, 'twill soon be past, 

Only what's done for Christ will last.

 

Only one life, yes only one,

Soon will its fleeting hours be done;

Then, in 'that day' my Lord to meet,

And stand before His Judgement seat;

Only one life,'twill soon be past,

Only what's done for Christ will last.

 

Only one life, the still small voice,

Gently pleads for a better choice

Bidding me selfish aims to leave,

And to God's holy will to cleave;

Only one life, 'twill soon be past,

Only what's done for Christ will last.

 

Only one life, a few brief years,

Each with its burdens, hopes, and fears;

Each with its clays I must fulfill,

living for self or in His will;

Only one life, 'twill soon be past,

Only what's done for Christ will last.

 

When this bright world would tempt me sore,

When Satan would a victory score;

When self would seek to have its way,

Then help me Lord with joy to say;

Only one life, 'twill soon be past,

Only what's done for Christ will last.

 

Give me Father, a purpose deep,

In joy or sorrow Thy word to keep;

Faithful and true what e'er the strife,

Pleasing Thee in my daily life;

Only one life, 'twill soon be past,

Only what's done for Christ will last.

 

Oh let my love with fervor burn,

And from the world now let me turn;

Living for Thee, and Thee alone,

Bringing Thee pleasure on Thy throne;

Only one life, 'twill soon be past,

Only what's done for Christ will last.

 

Only one life, yes only one,

Now let me say,"Thy will be done”;

And when at last I'll hear the call,

I know I'll say “twas worth it all”;

Only one life,'twill soon be past,

Only what's done for Christ will last.