Take a Stand

Our children are like arrows in our hands and arrows don’t always fly straight towards the target as we wish. It’s every parent’s wish that our children grow up and become responsible men and women. But every child is a learning experience in itself … and not every time we hit the bull’s-eye.

As parents we do everything possible to shape and form our children’s character and values…but sadly there are other archers in the shooting lanes. There are many things that are competing for our children’s attention that has the potential to destroy our foundational work.

We do not get a second chance with our little humans once they’ve crossed the threshold into adulthood. Three things that never come back – the spent arrow, the spoken word, and the missed opportunity. Once our kids become adults …their character is already formed. One of the assignments God gave us as parents is, character formation. After that ….only Salvation offered through Jesus Christ gives a second chance.

I recently read on the news about a son celebrating his birthday pushing his brand new car into a river because he was upset his parents got him a BMW instead of a Jaguar.

There was yet another horrific story of a son approximately in his early thirties who went to prison for a crime he committed in his late teens. His only request was to see his Mother. His Mother arrives … they both greeted each other… and as the son moved closer towards her … what happened next was chilling …. he bit her ear and whispered to her, “You never corrected me.”

Overindulgent parenting is when we tend to provide for our children whatever he or she wants or wishes and the discipline is absent or not enforced.

Here’s another true story – Parents purchase a two bedroom condo for their adult child. Child moves in and lives there for months…then unknowingly to the parents the child vacates the place in pursuit of their own happiness. After months on the run … the child shows up homeless.

If we are the archers… then it’s extremely important that we shoot to hit our targets with accuracy and precision. We need to determine our target point. Are we aiming at competing with our circle of friends and their ideologies or will it be the old fashion family’s altar where Christ is The Head of the HOME?

Parents, the real battle for our children is what they experience outside the home among their peers. Therefore, it’s our responsibility while they are in our care to say like Joshua “As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” Gone were the days when parents were proud that their children were attending Sunday School.

Let’s not move the old boundary lines for fear of losing the love of our children. It’s an unfortunate day when we choose to provide for all the needs of our children except giving them a Godly home.

Proverbs 22:28

“Do not remove an ancient boundary stone set up by your ancestors.”

Our homes, the schools and the world at large are feeling the crunch of those who have removed the boundary lines set up by our ancestors.

Children have turned against their parents. Parents are living in fear of speaking out. Our communities are filled with violence and the world has become extremely hostile towards GOD.

Parents, there have been boundary lines established by our ancestors that God warned us not to remove.

To have a God-fearing home, you cannot let the fear of your children stop you nor can you leave it up to the world to teach your children.