This past weekend I had the opportunity and, at the same time, the privilege to speak at this year's annual conference, "Restoring Families," in Houston, Texas. I wrote this devotional on my flight back home to share with our PBA Soul and Body Cycling Club parents.
Here are some thoughts on parenting based on what I have learned:
1. It's More Important To Raise Godly Kids Than Just Good Kids
We have to remember that the primary goal of parenting as followers of Christ is to raise Godly kids, not just good kids.
Good kids are good, but Godly kids are best.
Additionally, if you raise Godly kids, they will be good kids by overflow. The more solid their Godly foundation is, the more they will want to do what is good. The more we love the Lord, the more we love people and want to be good to them. The more we feel God's purpose in our lives, the more we want to make a difference in our community and world. It's great to have knowledgeable, academic, or athletic kids talented at specific skills, but it's vital that they have God in their lives above all those things.
2. Give Your Kids Experiences
It's not enough to just talk about God, read them scriptures, or theorize about life. You have to create opportunities for them to experience God's presence in their lives. This can be done by involving them in the church locally or on a missions trip, encouraging them to reach out to their friends, inspiring them to be Godly examples, or taking them to spiritual camps or events; basically, by looking for any way possible in which they can experience God. Kids learn by experience, not just through information. The older we get, the more we value knowledge, but kids are not cognitively there yet. So you have to prioritize experiences over information, especially the younger they are.
3. Give Your Kids Encouragement
Kids need a sense of identity. In fact, it's one of their greatest needs. As parents, we have to be the ones that help them develop their identity or the world will. This intention means you have to be the first to constantly remind them of who they are in Christ Jesus and the value they have in Him. You can't overdo encouragement. No one ever suffered from being encouraged too much. However, most adults suffer from a lack of motivation and affirmation in their childhood years, leading to many problems later in their life. Always be helping shape the identity of your kids by encouraging the best things about them. Don't just point out what they are not doing well; point out what they are doing well and keep repeating it. Reward the behaviors you want to see repeated, and over time, they will start living up to that expectation.
"Treat a man as he is, and he will remain as he is. Treat a man as he could be, and he will become what he should be."
-Ralph Waldo Emerson
These are just some quick thoughts about parenting that I pray are helpful to you.
Have a blessed week,
Pastor (Rev. Elias Limones)
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