One of our boys believed he was Batman and one was Spiderman as they were growing up. We live in a day and age when people are leaving it up to kids to be whoever they believe they are and deciding for themselves what to believe about themselves and what to believe about God. Our kids couldn’t make a good decision about what to eat for dinner, let alone, any life changing decisions.
Parents need to take charge of our household. Taking charge looks different than being bossy and heavy handed. Our God given assignment, as heads of households, is to serve our families. This greatest way to serve our families is by knowing God, who created the family.
I can testify from personal experience; we make a million mistakes in parenting. When we get the first thing right; knowing God and serving Him, He covers everything with His grace and His goodness. We don’t have to go back and redo all the things we get wrong, we just trust God to cover us all.
Walk by Watching
Children learn to walk, by watching their parents and being held by the hand as they learn. Parents can’t walk for their kids, and they also don’t sit down and explain to children how to stand and put one foot in front of the other, and that is how to walk. No, the parents walk, and that goes beyond any lesson or explaination. They hold their toddlers by the hand and they celebrate every single step and attempt.
Yes, it’s great to teach the kids, that’s how they learn, but they mostly learn from watching. Old and New Testament scriptures have stories of the entire household being saved by the obedience of the head of the household.
“ 13 The blood on the houses where you are staying will be a distinguishing mark for you; when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No plague will be among you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.” (Exodus 12:13)
Obeying God
The angel of death would pass over every ‘household’ who had obeyed God and had painted the blood of the lamb over the doorpost. So the kids could be throwing a royal fit and if they were a part of the household that had painted the doorposts as God had commanded, they were not only safe, but saved from death.
Then we read in the New Testament and read about God releasing Paul and Silas from prison while they were praying and singing.
“He(the jailer) escorted them out and said, ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’
They said, ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.’ “
(Acts 16:30-31)
The jailer had just witnessed Paul and Silas miraculously getting free; he should have been dead on the spot, and he wasn’t. He wanted whatever they had, because he saw freedom and life in one moment. Their answer to the jailer’s question of, how do I have what you have, was to ‘believe’ and him and his household would be saved.
Live Believing
We put too much pressure on our kids to decide what they believe, when they don’t know what we believe by watching. We, as adults, as parents need to believe Jesus, and live, believing everyday. Children are a gift and a blessing from God, all we need to do is trust God who gives blessings and gifts.
It’s never too late or too early to start believing God in a way that will effect your entire family. Get with God and have a relationship with Him, that will mark your life and permiate throughout our households. God is faithful and cares for every generation.
