Love The Children Series

Introduction

Video Ill.: Do As We Say - The Skit Guys

Well that’s certainly one way to raise children, isn’t it.

I wouldn’t say it is a very effective way.

Solomon also had some ideas about raising children.

I love the way that the Living Bible shares this passage from Proverbs 22:

6 Teach a child to choose the right path, and when he is older, he will remain upon it. (Proverbs 22, TLB)

This morning, we are talking about loving our children — ways that we show that love to our children, for the love of family. And while we may not have children ourselves, what we say today is certainly applicable to all of the children in our lives.

As parents, and even as an extended church family, we have the responsibility to love the children.

Parental Responsibility

Source: Jesse Jackson, quoted by columnist Roger Simon, (Los Angeles Times Syndicate, June 5, 1988). Christianity Today, Vol. 32, no.

Copied from Preaching Today

https://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/1996/october/337.html

Jesse Jackson once said, “Renew your hope; love your family. Raise your children, don't abandon them. Cats raise kittens. Dogs raise puppies. Eagles raise their eaglets. Surely man can raise his babies. You have not earned the right not to raise your children! You have not earned the right to do less than your best! Though your knees may buckle sometimes, you never earn the right to surrender!”

Children are precious. Even the ones that seem like little devils sometimes.

Even the ones who are angels all the time.

All children are precious to Jesus.

After all, it was the little children about which Jesus said, do not hinder them from coming to me.

So this morning, let’s look at a few ways that we can love the children.

As we begin, loving our children means we need to discipline them.

Discipline sounds like something we do not often want to do. Discipline sounds very negative.

But discipline is really a matter of setting boundaries, routines, consistency — teaching and training — preparing them for the big bad world that is out there.

Paul tells fathers in Ephesians 6:

4 Fathers, … bring [your children] up with the discipline and instruction that comes from the Lord. (Ephesians 6, NLT)

Again, Solomon had something to say too. In Proverbs 19:

18 Discipline your children while you still have the chance; indulging them destroys them. (Proverbs 19, MSG)

It is a duty of parents to train, to teach, to discipline our children.

But in our world today, parents do not want to be parents. They want to be their child’s best friend. They want to be buddies. They want to do just the fun stuff — and they neglect the hard stuff.

“If I have to correct my child, they’ll hate me,” they say.

“If I have to reprimand my child, they won’t like me anymore.”

There was a TV show a while back called Reba. In one episode, Barbara Jean, who is married to Reba’s ex-husband, is struggling with her 4 or 5 year old boy, Henry’s, behavior. And she, like many “modern” parents, is trying all of these feel-good, everyone is happy, programs for discipline. And it isn’t working.

Earlier in the episode, everyone thinks that Henry broke Reba’s lamp. But it turns out that Reba’s son Jake did it and just blamed Henry. That’s where we pick up. Barbara Jean has a realization of just how bad Henry has become. And, Reba has something to say about it.

Take a look.

Video Ill.: Reba, Season 5, Episode 12, “Parenting with Puppets”, 16:50 - 19:33

Being a parent is our God-given job when we have children. Being a parent is not for the weak of heart. We have to be strong as parents. Being a parent means making the tough decisions and sticking with them, even though our kids may get mad and tell us they hate us. It happens.

Children need structure. Children need discipline. Children need guidance and training. And it is our responsibility to provide that.

Principles and Guidelines of Child Discipline

© 2010 Focus on the Family

Adapted from The Complete Book of Baby and Child Care, published by Tyndall House Publishers, 1997, 2007, Focus on the Family

https://www.focusonthefamily.com/family-qa/principles-and-guidelines-of-child-discipline/

Focus on the Family offers a few guidelines about providing discipline for our children.

First, learn to balance love and limits.

Love your children unconditionally.

Do not confuse their actions, behavior, and words, with their souls.

Focus says:

“From the first day of life until the journey to adulthood is complete, your child must know that your love is rock solid, the foundation on which she can build and the home-base from which she can safely and confidently launch her exploration of the world. But children also need, and actually seek, boundaries and ground rules.