Children You Are Being Duped

Ephesians 6:10-17

10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

We had the meanest parents in the whole world! While other kids ate candy for breakfast, we had to have cereal, eggs, and toast. When others had a Cola and a Twinkie for lunch, we had sardine sandwiches. And you can guess if our mother fixed us a dinner that we did not like, too bad, we had to eat it anyway. Our parents insisted on knowing where we were at all times. They had to know who our friends were, who our friends’ parents were, and what we were doing with them. They insisted that if we said we would be gone for an hour, we would be gone for an hour or less. We were scared to admit it, but they had the unashamedly nerve to break unmitigated Child Labor Laws by making us work. We not only had to wash the dishes, but we also had to clean the entire kitchen, make the beds, and keep our rooms neat and orderly, we had to cook, vacuum the floors, do laundry, and all sorts of cruel jobs. They always insisted on us telling the truth the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. By the time we were teenagers, they could read our minds, and life got really tough. We could play kick ball or hide and go seek in the street because they could see us. Since we didn’t have computers and Ipads, after school we watched Soul Train or American Bandstand on our 12-inch black and white television. If our homework was finished and all chores completed, we could watch some comedy shows like Father Knows Best in the evening or Ed Sullivan on Sunday. Because of our parents we missed out on lots of things other kids experienced. None of us have ever been caught shoplifting, vandalizing other’s property, or arrested for any crime. We never got drunk, stayed out all night, or talked disrespectfully to adults. Sundays were reserved for church, and we never once missed Sunday School, Catechism Class, Vacation Bible School, or Christmas and Easter recitations. Now that we have left home, we are all God-fearing, educated, honest adults. We are doing our best to be mean parents just like our parents were. The world just doesn’t have enough mean parents anymore.

Parents have incredible influence on their children. Our primary task as parents is to prepare our sons and daughters to walk according to God’s plan, God’s will, and God’s purpose for their lives. Parents we have a responsibility to parent our children with specific intentions. Intentional parenting means we raise our kids under a purpose and a plan. Ephesians 6:1-4 says Children are to be brought up in the instruction of the Lord. Parents must teach God’s truth. Failure to do so reaps serious consequences.

Children are to be brought up in Godly discipline and children need Godly admonishment. Pro 22:15 says Folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline drives it far from him. We are to call their attention to things that they are doing wrong. What does it take to get their attention? Being brought up in the love of Godly parents.

Deuteronomy 6:6-9 tells us And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. 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.”

It used to be a parent’s responsibility, duty, and role to keep them safe, housed, clothed, fed, and educated. Now days, this role is being shared with day care facilities, community centers, and most importantly, the internet. Too many parents have the attitude of “I won’t force my views on my children. I believe in letting them decide for themselves.” Proverbs 29:15... a child left to himself brings his mother to shame.” Children aren’t necessarily the best judges of what is or isn't the best for them in the long run. If they were allowed to make their own choices, they wouldn’t ever go the dentist, take a bath, eat their veggies, attend school, or go to church. Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it."