A few weeks ago, my husband and I dedicated our third and final child to Christ. We, along with nine other sets of parents, stood before the church covenanting to raise our children in a godly home, and all received an abundance of support from our church family. This particular baby dedication was very sad for me. After we sat back down I realized that I will never stand before the church again and dedicate another child. I am three and out. Then I got a swift kick in the tail when God yelled at me (at least that is what it felt like) that now the journey of motherhood just took a gigantic leap forward. Not only did I take on the responsibility of dedicating my babies to Christ, but now my journey consisted of teaching them, praying for and with them, planting the seeds of Christ, and then discipling them until they grow into adulthood and beyond. That is way more work than just standing in front of the church in my Sunday best.
Parents, when the Lord blessed us with children, He never intended for it to be an easy job. In fact, it starts off really hard with late night feedings, uncontrollable crying (from Dad mostly), and keeping these small, alien-like humans alive. Honestly, there has never been an easy button when you are called to do God’s work. Missionaries across the world work hard to make the gospel known to people around them. And make no mistake; parents are missionaries in our own home.
Proverbs 22:6 says, “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.”
As hard as it is to maintain a Jesus-like attitude when the laundry is piled up and dishes overflow from the sink, we have to remember the little eyes and ears that mimic our every move. When we as parents give our children to Christ, we are promising that no matter what, we will be Christian role models for them to follow. I believe this is the single hardest job I will ever have. If I fail them in the teachings of Christ, then I have failed as a mother. Parents, you have to walk with Christ stronger than ever. There is so much depending on your relationship with the Lord.
Proverbs 10:9 says, “Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but he who makes his ways crooked will be found out.”
Another great point about dedicating your children to the Lord is that it gives you the chance to rededicate yourself to the Lord. I am not saying you have gone out of the path of the Lord but you would do it to refresh your spirit and prepare yourself for the journey of godly parenting. Pray for complete guidance on how to raise your children to become Christian teenagers and adults.
Proverbs 29:17 says, “Discipline your children, and they will give you peace; they will bring you the delights you desire.
God has to discipline us as parents. We are far from perfect and nowhere near sinless. The Lord has no choice but to discipline us in the different stages of our lives or we would never learn from His word. He has a strong hold on us and we are expected to have that same hold on our children.
Proverbs 29:15 says, “The rod of correction imparts wisdom, but a child left to himself, disgraces his mother.”
Lastly, there is a final goal that is to be reached. That goal is to raise our children to become followers of Jesus. That is our primary aim in life. I can think of nothing more heartbreaking than knowing my children are living in open rebellion against God and will not enjoy heaven for eternity. Now, that is a selfish motivation based on how I feel, but it is also God’s ending goal for us. He designed the parent/child relationship in such a way as to be a loving picture of the gospel.
Luke 11:11-13 illustrates this incredibly well, “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
We are not born as perfect people and we certainly do not grow to be perfect parents. We must always rely on God’s grace and guidance on how best to raise our children. The Lord provided us with a fantastic tool to help us in the child rearing department. It is the Bible. There we will find the patience, grace, love, support, and the faith we need to fulfill our parental duties.
