The father of a righteous child has great joy; a man who fathers a wise son rejoices in him. Proverbs 23:24 NIV
Context and Charge:
Life has its own challenges. Relationships are tough, and a society will always reflect the quality of the relationships that happen at the family level. God himself understands the power of the family. When he made man, He laid the foundations for the society and the nation. He blessed the man, giving him the power, ability and capacity to be fruitful and to multiply. In that blessing of being fruitful and multiplying is the reality of bringing in children into the world and nurturing them into maturity. On that journey, many things will happen, but ultimately, whatever efforts a father and mother make will always reflect on the quality of the lives of the children. You cannot fold your arms and magically wish that children will grow up in the fear and nurture of the Lord. You must put in the effort.
It will not happen overnight. It will not happen by accident. Nobody stumbles upon, and is able to sustain truth by accident. Even if you come across nuggets of truth by accident, you have to consciously and deliberately nurture it and work on it until it reaches full maturity. A child is the reflection of the investment of time and resources by the parents. While the parents are working, sometimes, you may not have happiness. The fallen nature of sin has made it easy for children to rebel and to seek to do their own things their own way, but as the parents persist, press on and persevere, the fruits of that investment will eventually shine out. It is best to keep the long-term benefits as the focus, even as you seek to work on the short-term discomfort. That focus helps keep parents sane, even in the face of the madness around.
Conviction and Conclusion:
Do not bring in children into the world simply because it is fashionable; do it with eternal impact in mind. Do not bring children into the world only because you love children, but because you understand the value of a life that will impact its society in the future. Work, labour, train, guide, protect and guard these children with eternity in view. It is also equally important to remember that a child learns righteousness by the example of the parents. What example am I laying down for my children as a father? What legacies of eternal value am I laying down as examples for my children as a mother? Remember, eternity is at stake. I must not labour only for that which this earth celebrates, but I must also lay up treasures in heaven. My children will be grateful to God that I showed them God's way. God's time of favour is here.
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