We have just enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday and are looking forward to celebrating Christmas. Every time I get near the end of another year, I get reflective. I can’t help but think of the goodness of God in my life. Oh we have had our fair share of challenges, but the blessings so far outweigh them that they all but disappear in comparison.
Our Children
One of the blessings that Gina and I have received from God is the children He has placed in our home; He has given us three wonderful children. The older they get, the more fun we have with them. Yet, the older they get, the more we realize how important it is to intentionally invest in their lives.
I will never forget the words of my Uncle Will. He has four children that all are doing well and serving the Lord. Somebody commented to him one day, “you sure are lucky, your kids have all turned out so well.” His response was, “luck had nothing to do with it; it was hard work and sacrifice! But now I am enjoying the benefits of training them in the ways of the Lord.”
I think he was right. The Bible says, “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6). Parenting is hard work, but what an investment. I am proud of my children, but I know that the jury is still out. They are just starting their journey and we are not yet through the teenage years. But I already see the benefit of intentional time with them, teaching them about the things of God.
But the key to successful parenting is living before the children what you believe, and being consistent to follow through on what you say. So here is my challenge for you this Christmas season: Intentionally invest in your children. No matter how old or young they are, make sure they understand what you believe about Christmas. Jesus Christ is the Son of God that came into the world to save us from our sins. Because of His death and resurrection, He will forgive our sin through repentance and give us new life; eternal life. And as Christians, we have a personal relationship with Christ that is real and practical every day.
So what does that look like in your home? What are you passing on to your children? We can never assume that they “get it,” we need to make sure that we invest in their lives. What better time to make that investment, than family time at Christmas.
Pastor Mel, I so appreciate what you said about investing in your children. Jack and I have always tried to do that and one way that we have made Christmas special is that we have always read the Christmas story from Luke 2 before we open any gifts. ( However, they get to look at their stockings before. I still do stockings for all 8 children and 6 grandchildren. I LOVE the Dollar Tree store.) Our 4 children attended Colonial Hills Christian School and all had the same Kindergarten teacher who taught them Luke 2: 8-14 so when we get to that part they have to recite it together for me. That is the only present that I want for Christmas so they still do it and have even taught the 4 oldest grandchildren to recite it.
It’s a very special memory for me as well as the children both young and old.
By: Sandra Beckham on December 2, 2009
at 6:19 pm
Hey, Pastor Mel. Chip and I have raised five children and have been blessed with eight grandchildren in the last three years! I agree that children are God’s greatest gifts to us after the gift of His only son so that we will not die but live. I -We- tried our hardest with all of our children and sacrificed, as well, to raise them up in the Lord and to give them all that we could. I arrogantly thought that if we loved them, kept them healthy, educated them and most of all taught them that Jesus loves us and that their relationship with Jesus is the singular most important relationship they would have – I thought they would all just fly into adulthood and find their place in the world by living in His perfect will for their lives. There were times through the years that I realize, now, that there was more Christian activities going on than Christian training, and as they entered their teenage years and young adulthood I realize, now, that I became more focused on their personal happiness than on encouraging their reliance on our Lord. Of course, i did not realize that then! I think what I am trying to say is that no matter how hard we try we will mistakes. I think that Christian parenting classes should be a mainstay of our church and not just for the young parents. Believe me, there is nothing more humbling nor that requires more wisdom than parenting adult children! God bless you and your precious family as you serve the Lord. You all have already been a blessing to me personally and to our church!
By: Sherry Manross on January 2, 2010
at 12:28 pm
What wisdom and candor your Uncle Will had to answer regarding the “luck”, really success, he had experienced in child rearing. I pray that there will be many more success stories like this from believers who are striving to rear their kids in a way that truly works! My heart is always encouraged by these ones who are going before those of us in the throws of parenting.
Examining other families and the keys to their parenting success has been enlightening….one would think factors like socio-economics, great family history, intelligence, getting most everything “right” with no major blunders, or even godliness might be the golden ticket to producing great kids; however, it seems like the common denominators are somehow related to humility. Whether it is calling out to God to say “Help, I need Your wisdom,” or to say to other parents “What did you do when….?” or to say to your spouse, “I need a break, can you take the kids for a while?” or to say to your child, “I am so sorry I was angry and lost my temper, ” or to even say to your teen/young adult, “Hey help me understand where you’re coming from with this…”>>>it seems like the posture is one of humility.
May God grant us the blessing of humility to go the distance in this journey of nurturing these precious gifts from above so that we too can share in the rewards of a job well done!
By: Cynthia Temple on January 8, 2010
at 12:29 pm