Daily Devotionals
Daily Devotional: Proverbs 29:11-15
Prov 29:11-15
11 A fool gives full vent to his spirit, but a wise man quietly holds it back. 12 If a ruler listens to falsehood, all his officials will be wicked. 13 The poor man and the oppressor meet together; the Lord gives light to the eyes of both. 14 If a king faithfully judges the poor, his throne will be established forever. 15 The rod and reproof give wisdom, but a child left to himself brings shame to his mother.
Eph 6:1-4
Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.” Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
Children are a gift from God and are a blessing indeed! It is our responsibility as parents to raise our children according to his word. This means that our number one priority is teaching and training them to love God and to come to know Jesus as their Lord and as their Savior. As parents (and especially as a father) we are to bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
If we fail in doing this, we have failed them, no matter how financially successful they may become or what positions they may hold in life. We teach children in a lot of ways, but the most important way is our example. They see what we really love, what we consider important, and what really matters to us. We can tell them how important it is to serve God but if we don’t truly put him first in our lives, they will see this and probably follow our example, not what we say.
Children must be taught. Children must be held accountable for their actions. This accountability should be grounded in respect for authority, beginning with God, then parents and then others. This means that they will have to be punished at times for bad behavior and will need to be rewarded for being good. But what kind of punishment is necessary? Children do not come in “one size fits all” so depending on the temperament of the child and the offense committed, the punishment will vary. Do not punish when angry. Discipline should always come from a heart of love to help the child. The punishment should fit the offense. The one thing your child needs most is your time and your love.
O Lord God, thank you for my family. Use me as a parent and as a grandparent to honor you in the way I conduct myself. Help me always set a good example and to show them Jesus living in me. Forgive me when I fail to do this. Lord, I know that life is short, time is fleeting, and death is sure, so help me take time to enjoy each day those you have put into my life. Be with your people so that we can show Jesus to the world and help them to want to serve him. In his name I pray.
Robert
