ICS Daily Devotions
Godly Parenting
Pro 19:18 Chasten your son while there is hope, and do not set your heart on his destruction.
Eph 6:4 And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.
Parenting is a joyous yet heavy responsibility entrusted to us by God. The Bible tells us that earthly fathers have the responsibility to discipline their children when they are wrong, but it also tells us not to provoke our children to wrath. God is love and our heavenly Father never uses evil means to discipline. Instead, He uses the Word and Holy Spirit to correct us, and so we must always discipline out of love instead of rage and anger.
Here are some common pitfalls to avoid:
Favouritism/Comparison: It was favouritism by Jacob that got Joseph into trouble because it made his brothers jealous; God has no favourites as He sees all of us in Christ.
Unrealistic standards: We need to accept that not every child is academically inclined as some are talented in other things; God has accepted us in Christ because we can never achieve a right standing with Him on our own strength.
Unfulfilled promises: We need to honour our promises to our children because it affects the trust between us; God is a God of covenant who watches over His Word to perform it in our lives.
Not admitting mistakes: We must admit our mistakes and apologise to our children because there will be repercussions on their lives otherwise; Jesus is sinless and He has given us the Holy Spirit to empower us to live godly lives.
Abusive words/Sarcasm: Life and death is in the power of the tongue, and we will eat its fruit; God’s Word always edifies, builds our faith and carries promises.
Neglect: Children spell love as TIME; God has placed the Holy Spirit in us and He is always attentive to our prayers.
Physical Abuse: A non-negotiable because God is love.
Our heavenly Father has decided to spend a glorious eternity with us, and He has given us the Holy Spirit. He will never leave or forsake us. As such, let’s intentionally keep our family together, be there for our children, and build our relationships with them on the foundation of love.
Pro 17:6 Children’s children are the crown of old men, And the glory of children is their father.
Sermon Series: Father’s Day
