Children are the greatest asset of a family. Even if you sold your son or daughter for a very high price, in a way they would still be yours. More than carriers of your DNA, they are an expression of the continuity of your life. Yes, children are a blessing from God. Meditate in this post on how to deal well with these very precious little ones.
In the last 3 weeks before Easter 2021, we did a devotional with our children called I Love Your Word reflecting on Psalm 119, the largest chapter in the Bible. This is already a tradition in our home as we prepare for Easter, studying the letters of the Hebrew alphabet and meditating on the Word of God.
Something new for this year was the questioning about the application of the Hebrew letters in each section or stanza of that psalm. As an acrostic poem, Psalm 119 presents each of the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet accompanied by 8 verses extolling the Word of God. Our daughter said that she was not seeing the correlation of each letter to its respective stanza-in other words, of course.
And my answer was: let’s pray for the Holy Spirit to have a greater understanding and, especially, revelation in our hearts. If I had the answer, I could explain the connection of each letter to the related portion, but that was also quite obscure for me. Since that night, we have received profound revelations that much more than guaranteeing a better understanding of the biblical text, have given us greater clarity about our purpose in life and also in our relationship with God.
See that dealing with our children guarantees us the unique opportunity to grow in our relationship with God. If you don’t have biological children, you can experience this benefit by committing your life to the children or young people around you. The apostle Paul, for example, was a man surrounded by spiritual children, young men with whom he shared his time, treasures, and talents (1 Timothy 1:2; Titus 1:4; Phil 1:10).
1. Most Precious Asset
Speaking of Easter, it is worth remembering that God sent 10 plagues on Egypt in order to free the people of Israel from slavery and lead them to Canaan, the land promised to their patriarchs. The Israelites were suffering so much that they cried out to God, who heard them and decided to send his servant Moses as a facilitator of the exodus. In the face of Pharaoh’s hardened heart, the Lord God sent repeated affronts to the Egyptian gods, culminating in the death of all the firstborn, both men and animals.
But it was the loss of the children that put an end to it, the end of that situation. Not even Pharaoh’s life or that of any Egyptian would mean so much. And so it is with us. Of all that we can achieve, our children are our most precious asset, our greatest asset. The Bible says that children’s children are a crown for the elderly. In other words, today and in his old age, his children will be the great honor and legacy of his life.
For these and other reasons, we need to constantly improve the way we deal with our little ones. You must not speak words of curse about your children, ignore them (be especially careful with your cell phone) or even annoy them (Eph 6: 1-4). Even when they are crossing the line in any respect, their attitude must be one of love towards them. And love corrects, it is not careless. You need to watch over your children, pray for them – and with them – every day, instruct them on the path they should walk on, and spend time together because you are the Bible that they read often.
Parenting requires wisdom and a firm attitude. When King Solomon was still young on the throne, the following question was brought to him: two women were fighting over a live baby after another baby died in the same maternity. Each demanded the healthy boy before the king. As he could not prove who was speaking the truth, he ordered the baby to be cut in half, and each one to receive a half. Immediately the real mother gave up her right and called on the king to let the other woman stay with the child. And the king gave himself his son, no doubt that she had shown maternal compassion (1 Kings 3:16 …).
When you realize that your children are your greatest asset, you will manifest wisdom in a natural, selfless, and rewarding way. Even if you don’t feel very empowered, you are already a father, a mother, which is enough. And to that, add virtue in the way you deal with your children constantly (2 Pet. 1: 5-8).
Grandchildren are the crown of the aged,and the glory of children is their fathers.
Proverbs 17:6
2. Blessing
The Bible also says that children are a blessing from the Lord. Other translations say “present” or “inheritance”. Anyway, they come from God for us. They carry our DNA, striking similarities in behavior as well as physical traits of the father and mother. Not only that, but they also bring a reality from heaven to the family that receives them (Ps 127:3-5).
We learned this when our firstborn was born and we were visited by a friend of our family. She told us: “this baby brings something straight from heaven, from God, to you”. We had never thought of that, but it’s true!
And with that, we are also given the responsibility of being “stewards” of a precious treasure. Regardless of the age of your children, whether they are still babies or already teenagers, they have been entrusted to you until they become adults. And before God, you have the responsibility to take good care of them and make them successful. I once heard that there is no success without a successful successor. That is, the result of his own life is directly related to the future of his children (Pr 10: 1; 17: 21-25; 19:13)
I believe that’s why the term “son” is among the 7 most cited words in the Bible. This subject is relevant to the Holy Spirit who, as he inspired the Scriptures, remembered it many times. And he continues to care. So ask the Holy Spirit for help on how to deal with your children better, how to show love more effectively, and be a real blessing to them – as they are to you.
Children are a gift from the Lord;they are a real blessing.
Psalm 127:3
3. Continuity of Life
Finally, children are the ones who will carry your name forward. Every truly prosperous person has a long-term view. It doesn’t just care about the now, or the years to come, but the next few decades and generations to come. That is why it is important for you to understand that children are a real expression of life continuity (Ps 127: 3-5).
There is no point in wanting to save energy now while your children are small, as the expense upfront will be much higher. While your little ones are at home, you have the opportunity to pay the price to be a good example for them, to train them for life – which requires firmness and patience at the same time – and especially to guide them in the fear of the Lord. Only then will you have the reward of a life full of peace and joy, both in the present and in the future.
I don’t know what your motivation was for having a child. But you chose to have a child, it was not your child who chose to have a father or a mother. And that naturally brings the blessing of a legacy and also the responsibility for high-risk investment. That is why all parents need the help of the Holy Spirit both to nurture their marriage and to raise their children in the fear of the Lord. Larry Titus says it is impossible to build a successful family without the help of the Holy Spirit.
And the sooner you recognize this, the more advantage you will have in all aspects. My call at the end of this post is that you reflect on the need for God’s help to establish a healthy home that will guarantee you the future you want. He sent Jesus, his own son, to reconcile us with him by guaranteeing us abundant life. It doesn’t matter if you are a Christian or not.
Today is the time to decide how your life will go from here on. Don’t fool yourself. Take a good look at your heart and start a revolution towards abundant life right now. Do you want to live as an ordinary creature or as an heir to what God has best prepared for you and your family? (Gal 4: 7)
No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also. Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you too will abide in the Son and in the Father. And this is the promise that he made to us – eternal life.
1John 2:23-25
Conclusion
It is a privilege to be a parent. Our children are the greatest reward we can have in life. They are a true blessing from God and also an expression of the continuity of our own existence. The Lord told Abraham that through him, that is, his descendants, all the families of the earth will be blessed. And Jesus is the son who keeps that promise.
So each family needs God’s help to nurture a healthy marriage and to instruct their children in the fear of the Lord. If we fail to do so, nothing will make sense in life. So open your heart and accept the help of the Holy Spirit to advance, despite the circumstances, towards the best that is prepared for you and your children.
Behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord God, when I will send a famine on the land — not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord.
Amos 8:11
Prayer: God, thank you so much for your love and for the children that You gave me. My prayer is for wisdom to be a good father, a good mother, and to instruct my children in the fear of the Lord for your glory, in the name of Jesus. Amen.
What is the Holy Spirit saying to you?
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“I will bless those people who bless you. But I will curse anyone who insults you.
Through you, I will bless all the families of people on the earth.” Genesis 12:3
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