Encourage Not Discourage Our Children
God’s Word – Fathers, do not embitter [provoke] your children, or they will become discouraged. Colossians 3:20
The Encouragement:
As parents we are given the responsibility to train our children in the admonition of the Lord. The word of God is the counsel and standard we need to look to in training and encouraging- directing and correcting – reviving and strengthening. When we use the word of God in the way God divinely instructs us to we are building up instead of tearing down. We are creating a heart to love God through Christ first. We need to teach our children selfless acts of loving kindness instead of selfishness [ The Fruits of the Spirit Galatians 5]. Recognize those godly attributes and encourage instead of discouraging our children because we perceive they are not living up to our standard. As parents we need to be setting the standard by practicing those things set in the word of God [Psalm 119; Deuteronomy 6; Joshua 1] living through the grace of God that brought us salvation that has appeared to all… Through the counsel of God’s word: It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, 1while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ… [Titus 2 ] Too often we see this new generation holding on to worldly passions instead of being passionate about the business of God. We must display the divine godly attributes gifted by the grace of God in our own lives. Let us not embitter [provoke] our children to a place of discouragement. But do as the scriptures state: In the book of [Deuteronomy 6] … These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your [our] hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Deuteronomy 6:6-8
Prayer:
Heavenly Father,
We thank you for your grace that you give us… Thank you for your gift of salvation through our Lord Jesus. We commit all our plans to you Father because it is only through you that they will succeed. We ask that you strengthen us to train our children in the ways you want them to grow in your wisdom, understanding and knowledge. We also ask that we would seek you and seek for your strength continually so that we do not provoke or embitter our children so that they become discouraged. We will be faith filled to commit them to you and use the tool: The Bible to instruct their hearts through the counsel of your word. We thank you for the good work that you continually do within our lives and you are faithful not to leave us in our self-centered self but bring us to a place where we are being renewed daily by the cleansing of our mind by the word-Jesus states; we are clean because of the word of truth spoken to us. Thank you Father for your word that equips and empowers us to the good work you call us to through Christ … In Jesus name we pray…Amen!
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