FROM A SISTER:
We MUST be close to God; we MUST have a consciousness of God and a considering of His thoughts if we expect to change and influence the world around us for Jesus’ Sake. There just is no way around it! And we aren’t looking for a way around it anyway! :) He made us by His design, by His initiation and by His decision. Therefore, it only makes real sense that He has His Life in store for us. He has specific thoughts, hopes and dreams for us and how we might live.
More specifically, it only makes sense that if we hope to have a positive effect on our children for Jesus’ sake, that we have a Life that is kept very close to him, connected to the Vine. How can we positively influence and guide them and encourage them if we are not receiving Life from God Himself? We can only hope to touch them with Jesus’ Love, Liberty, Promises, and True heaven borne influence if we are vitally connected to the Vine, which is the Person of Jesus Himself!
What kind of dreams, aspirations and vision do we have for our children? Do we have a clear picture in our minds and hearts of how we would like them to “turn out”? What do we expect? What do we “see” for them in their futures? “Without vision” we lose our way. Without vision for their lives, it must also be true that we’ll have a tough time pointing them in a clear direction.
But, It Can Be So! We can have a Hope for them and a Vision for them that burns brightly in our hearts. We CAN have a fire in us to see them be God’s person; to see them truly HATE sin and LOVE righteousness. We CAN really, really want that for them—to KNOW JESUS from their own hearts with their OWN experiences of touching Him, Hearing His voice and responding in a holy way to His lead and His Word. Are we ourselves, personally on that course? Are we setting our children on that course as well? The ONLY WAY we can set them on a course to be “set apart” (In Hebrews 1, Jesus was “set apart” from his peers because he HATED sin and LOVED righteousness) is that we ourselves are also on that same path.
In order to be “leading” a child down a forest trail, you have to be going first, guiding the way, moving the brambles, pointing out the pitfalls along the path. But you can’t stand at the edge of the forest and “yell them” through it!! You can’t “coach” them from the sidelines on how to play the game. You (and I) have to get right in there on the “Game” and lead the way, set the course, blaze the trail, set the example, demonstrate the techniques, point out the advantages, warn of the disadvantages. It’s not “coaches” that we are called to be, but experienced “players.” The blind can’t lead the blind. A student is never above his teacher. We should not expect that our children will rise to be MORE than we are simply because they have godly people living next door or because they are in a generally good environment.
Each of them will be making some very real, serious choices one day. They well personally need to see their own state and their own need of Jesus and His precious blood and His wonderful love for them. They will need to come face to face with Him. In the mean time, they CAN be sowing massively good seeds towards that Revelation of God by being SHOWN HOW and when and where to HATE what is evil and LOVE what is good. How else will they know what that means unless we personally take them by the hand and show them? They won’t just meander or drift into an awareness of the Good things God has for them. If for you and me, we learn of God and His ways by specific lessons, then it will be the same for them. Let’s not withhold those lessons and gloss over sin or laziness or disobedience. Don’t rob your child from hearing and seeing God’s word, His Ways and His love put into practice BY YOU in specific and continual ways. Let’s purge ourselves of low living, bad habits, ungodly pursuits, short-sightedness and lack of Jesus, and help our children “run the race” with us leading the way!
And let us PLEASE not neglect our neighbors either! We all need help to stay on track and Live in the Light and keep our spiritual fervor. We NEED each other and we need to HELP one another grow and help our children grow. Okay?? For Jesus sake...
12/26/2000