Raise

“Your greatest contribution to the Kingdom of God may not be something you do, but someone you raise. “ (Andy Stanley)

Godly families are the bedrock of any spiritual community. The question that many people are asking is how someone produces a godly family. Strategies for parenting are often unique to each child. Universal disciplining rules can often be difficult to come by

Advice from younger parents doesn’t have the blessing of hindsight. While advice from older parents has to be tempered with the understanding that parents today are in a different culture in which previous generation was raised. Despite these challenges, there are timeless principles that can be used in the construction of a healthy home. These tools can be found in Psalm 127:

1.   Prayerful dependence on the Heavenly Father is done through scripture reading and prayer.

“If it is not the Lord who builds a house, the builders are wasting their time. If it is not the Lord who watches over the city, the guards are wasting their time.” (Psalm 127:1, ERV)

2.      Prioritized time with the Heavenly Father makes all the difference in the family unit.

“It is a waste of time to get up early and stay up late, trying to make a living. The Lord provides for those he loves, even while they are sleeping.” (Psalm 127:2, ERV)

3.   Purposeful preparation in growing children for the Heavenly Father is crucial.

^“Children are a gift from the Lord, a reward from a mother’s womb.
 A young man’s sons are like the arrows in a soldier’s hand.” (Psalm 127:3-4, ERV)

4.   The result of the above tools will be joy in you.

^“The man who fills his quiver with sons will be very blessed.
He will never be defeated     when he opposes his enemy at the city gates.” (Psalm 127:5, ERV)

 “Our failure to love and discipline our children often inflicts upon them a weak and damaged faith. There is no greater tragedy in life.” (Dr. James Dobson)[i]

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[i] Inspired by the sermon “Drawing Near to God: Drawing Near with Your Kids“(installment three) Sunday August 19, 2018 Pastor Dave Jansen CenterPoint Gahanna Church Gahanna, OH.

Additional source used: “Five Principles for Raising a Godly Family” by Jim and Jessica Hall