“… and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator …” – Romans 1:25 It can be a good thing for children to have pets. They can learn responsibility in caring for them. They can learn compassion as they think about the pet being hungry, thirsty, or in the cold. However, when a pet becomes more important than children or others, aren’t we bordering on worshiping an idol? It isn’t carved in wood or stone, but nevertheless is perhaps taking our time, money, and attention to the … [Read more...]
We need more than soap!
“But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment.” – Matthew 12:36 There was a time when people joked about getting the mouth washed out with soap for saying bad words. I’m afraid there isn’t enough soap in the world to stop all the bad language we are hearing in society today! Perhaps using the mouth-washing technique worked for some, but we have more of a heart problem today. What a challenge we have to teach our children … [Read more...]
How do we explain wars to children?
“And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.” – Matthew 24:6 It is somewhat of a dilemma to explain wars to children. We don’t want to make them worry or be frightened. There is a tendency to just ignore the subject, but sooner or later children will ask questions and they need answers. One of the problems is that adults, themselves, don’t always understand the reason for war. We can’t … [Read more...]
Making the most of the moment
“See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time because the days are evil.” Ephesians 5:15,16 “My, how time flies!” is an expression that most of us have heard. Another year of school has drawn to a close. Children and parents are facing challenges as to how to spend the summer. Some children will enroll in summer school, but even so, there will be more time available to fill with positive activities. Soon, we will be saying, “Where did the summer … [Read more...]
‘Sowing wild oats’
“Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap” – Galatians 6:7 “If only I hadn’t …”. “I wish I had…”. “Why didn’t someone stop me?” Do any of these sayings sound familiar? Perhaps everyone has regrets. One person told me that while he was in college he was “pretty wild”. “You know,” he said, “not one person in the church ever came to me and said, ‘Son, you hadn’t ought to do that’ “. It was not until he and some friends rolled a car … [Read more...]
Teaching accountability
“But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment.” – Matthew 12:36 There is a theme throughout the Bible of accountability. We are told over and over that sin brings consequences. There are many warnings in the Bible as to the importance of obedience and actions. It behooves us, in light of this, to teach our children that they will be held accountable for their choices and actions. The best way to teach accountability is to … [Read more...]
Love requires action
“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind…..you shall love your neighbor as yourself.” – Matt. 22:37,39 It is so easy to say, “I love you”. It is a good thing to tell others that we love them, but do we always understand what we are saying? Most parents would readily argue that they love their children. Love, however, is not just a feeling. Love is something you do. I Corinthians 13 provides a list of qualities of love. Love is … [Read more...]
Deal with disappointment
“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” – Romans 8:28 Following the last election, I saw a picture in a report on TV of a young lady who clearly had genuine fear in her eyes. She was afraid because her chosen candidate had not won. I felt sorry for her because she clearly did not know how to deal with her disappointment in not having her candidate win the election. Are we raising children who … [Read more...]
The best foundation
“You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.” – Deuteronomy 6:7 What better thing can we do to prepare our children for the future than to teach them Scripture? When Scripture becomes engrained in a person, it becomes the basis for decision-making. It gives comfort as well as guidance, yet in many instances our children are not being taught enough verses from the … [Read more...]
‘Oh, those wild kids!’
“Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them ….” – Matthew 18:14 It is exhausting mentally, spiritually, and physically to work with some of the “wild” kids that often come to us. It is so exhausting, in fact, that some church workers refuse to make an effort to reach out to the “hard” ones who don’t know how to behave. As one worker told me, “Our VBS went much better this year because we didn’t pick up those kids at the preschool like we usually do. They don’t know how … [Read more...]
Behind closed doors
“Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, The fruit of the womb is a reward.” – Psalms 127:3 (NKJV) What has happened in our country that so many no longer consider children a blessing as God intended? It seems that daily we hear of stories of children being mistreated that rend the heart of those who care. Consider these true stories told to me: • A church youth worker was informed by a student at a Christian camp that her mother was jealous of her because the mother’s boyfriend … [Read more...]
Back to school
“My son, keep my words, And treasure my commands within you….bind them on your fingers; Write them on the tablet of your heart.” Proverbs 7:1,3 Much time and attention is given to providing school supplies and new clothes to prepare children to go back to school in the fall. How much Spiritual preparation do we give our children to face the many challenges they will undoubtedly encounter? It seems that many of us are often guilty of waiting until problems arise and then attempting to … [Read more...]