You Asked For It: Raising Godly Kids in a Broken World
2023-04-16
You Asked For It: Raising Godly Kids in a Broken World
Deut. 6:4-9 (CSB) Listen, Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one., 5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. 6 These words that I am giving you today are to be in your heart. 7 Repeat them to your children. Talk about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Bind them as a sign on your hand and let them be a symbol on your forehead., 9 Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your city gates.
How do you raise Godly kids in a broken world?
Should I isolate my child from the world?
No, isolation can leave your child afraid of the world
Matthew 5:14-16 You are the light of the world. A city situated on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 No one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket, but rather on a lampstand, and it gives light for all who are in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.
It can leave your child unprepared to face the world
It can keep your child from being what God intended them to be
Should I be the parent who is “large and in charge”?
No, modeling Godly behavior is better than forcing Godly behavior
Deut. 6:4-6 Listen, Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. 6 These words that I am giving you today are to be in your heart.
Your children will embrace Godly living when they see it in a genuine form
Deut. 6:7 Repeat them to your children. Talk about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.
Genuine Godly living is always filled with grace
Colossians 4:5-6 Act wisely toward outsiders, making the most of the time. 6 Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you should answer each person.
Should I make sure my kids “look the part”?
Authenticity in our faith is better than putting on a good show
Deut. 6:8-9 Bind them as a sign on your hand and let them be a symbol on your forehead. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your city gates.
Teaching your children that trying to make others think they’ve got it all together can push them away from their faith rather than draw them to it.
Teaching your children the value of living right is far more important than looking right
1 Timothy 4:7b-8 Rather, train yourself in godliness. 8 For the training of the body has limited benefit, but godliness is beneficial in every way, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.
Question 4: What do I do if my child is running from their faith?
PRAY!
James 5:16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is very powerful in its effect.
Never give up
6:7a Repeat them to your children…
Never stop loving them
3:21 Fathers, do not exasperate your children, so that they won’t become discouraged.