Your Child: A Blessing from the Lord, Not a Burden
Study Text: Psalm 127:3-5
Introduction:
- Children are precious gift from above, they are one of life's wonderful and highly desired blessings.
- How wonderful children and teens are. They fill our lives with gladness and our world with fun and happiness.
- The psalmist tells us that "Children are a heritage from the Lord, children a reward from him."
- Children are a "heritage." The term heritage is a translation of the Hebrew word that means "property, possession, that which is shared or assigned."
- Children are the Lord's possessions, the Lord's property. And, He assigns them to or shares them with parents.
- Children are also a "reward." The term reward conveys the idea of appreciation, of pleasure, of joy. Children are never to be viewed as a sign of God's displeasure, as His punishment for sin.
- To the contrary, the fruit of the womb is the trophy of God's love, His choice reward. Wise parents and grandparents take pleasure in children.
- Children bring joy into our lives. A world without children would be an impoverished world. Their curiosity, their laughter, their excitement, their unique way of viewing things adds to the fullness of life.
- Children are a heritage, a reward. And yet, they can be a tremendous challenge and a test of one's patience too. Yet, we have to say and affirm the words of the psalmist that "Children are a heritage from the LORD, children a reward from him" (Ps 127:3).
- We shall discuss the topic under three subheadings:
1. The Reward of Children
2. The Responsibility to Children
3. The Responsibility from Children
1. The Reward of Children
- The idea being presented here is that God gives children as a reward for righteousness. What about those who are unable to bear children? Is God punishing them for unrighteousness?
- If God just send children as a reward for righteousness, there would be far fewer children in this world, because only very few people are living according to the will of God.
- In fact, some children come as a result of sinful practices and a life of disobedience to the word of God. Not that sin should be encouraged, but to buttress the fact that children are not reward for righteousness.
- But, we cannot overlook the idea inherent in this verse – children are a blessing. Children bring joy, satisfaction, and hope that can come no other way. Children are not a burden, a problem, but they are a blessing from God.
- Children are a reward from God. It is a blessing given to mankind in general so that we, as a human race, can fill the earth and subdue it.
- Children are a reward from God. But the inability to have children today is not to be seen as a sign of God's displeasure.
- From God's point-of-view there is no such thing as an "accidental birth" or a "surprise pregnancy" or an "unwanted child." Each one belongs to Him and is assigned by Him to parents.
- Wise parents acknowledge that their children – each one of them – belongs to God and is a personal gift from Him and they acknowledged that each child is "assigned" to them by God.
- Wise parents acknowledged that each child is a "heritage from the Lord'', and they thank and praise God for each of their children always.
- In a society such as ours where it is so easy to have an abortion, we have to keep reminding ourselves and each other that children are a heritage, they are a reward.
- They belong to God, and are entrusted to us, and are a sign of His blessing. For this reason, we should know that we must not kill unborn human life.
- Those who kill the unborn never admit that children are a trust from God assigned to parents. They don't view children as a sign of blessing upon mankind.
- Apart from the fact that those who involve themselves in such evil act before the Lord, may suffer some troubles in this world, even loss of their lives in death, we should be aware that the wrath of God awaited the evil doers on the day of judgement, unless there is genuine repentance.
2. The Responsibility to Children
- Children are a heritage, a reward. They are God's gifts and blessings entrusted to parents. As a result, this come with a lot of responsibilities from the parents to the children.
- Some day those who are parents must answer to God for what they have done with this gift. What does God require of parents?
1. God surely expects parents to train their children in righteousness.
- It is the primary responsibility of the parents to give their children the upbringing that prepares them for lives pleasing to God. The Church and the School can only assist and affirm parental training.
- Children are like arrows. The picture is that of a warrior with arrows in his hand. Parents have the job of directing them.
- A parent is responsible for the direction of his or her children. A child, like an arrow, is incapable of directing himself. It is the basic responsibility of parents to direct the lives of their children.
- Children need boundaries; children need direction. Prov 22:6. Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.
- It includes creating a thirst for the spiritual life. It means directing a child to faith and life in Christ. It means giving a child moral guidance and teaching him or her to submit to God and His laws.
“Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4).
- Christian parents must know that their children need to be taught integrity and values. They must know that their children need direction.
- Parents must always remember that children are like arrows: they need to be directed. And, because of sin, without that direction they cannot help but choose for a life without God and Christ.
2. It is the responsibility of parents to dedicate their children to God at the beginning of their lives. We saw what Hannah did for Samuel, and how Jesus was dedicated to God. 1 Samuel 1:28, Luke 2: 22.
- Do all you can to help your children come early in life to personal faith, repentance and water baptism in Christ. Matthew 19:14. They must also be instructed on the importance of the baptism in the Holy Spirit.
3. God surely expects parents to provide for their children.
- It is the responsibility of parents to provide the basic amenities of life for their children, within the capacity that God has blessed them.
- The parents must ensure that they give their children a good education or a vocational training that the child can depend upon as source of income when he is grown up.
“If any one does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his own family, he has disowned the faith and is worse than an unbeliever” (1 Timothy 5:8).
“The children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children” (2 Corinthians 12:14).
4. God surely expects parents to control their children.
- Parents must be very friendly with their children, but they must also take their stand as parents in controlling their choices when they go wrong, their lifestyles and their relationship.
- They must be willing to discipline the children when they go wrong. But this must be done in love, so that the children will be helped and not be harmed.
Elders are to have their “children in submission with all reverence” (1 Timothy 3:4).
Deacons are to rule their “children and their own houses well” (1 Timothy 3:12).
- When parents allow children to do whatever they want without any control, the children suffer and the parents do a great injustice.
5. It is the responsibility of parents to take spiritual oversight of their children.
- Instruct your children daily in the word of God, both in conversation and family devotions. 1 Timothy 4:6, 2 Timothy 3:15.
- Encourage your children to live lives devoted to study of the word of God, prayer and faithful Church attendance and involvement through living by example and exhortation. Romans 12:12, James 5:16.
- Lift your children up to God by constant and earnest prayer and intercession, following the example of the prayer of Jesus Christ for His disciples. John 17: 1, Ephesians 6: 18.
- Protect your children from ungodly influences by not being ignorance if the attempt of Satan to destroy them spiritually through attraction to the world or through immoral attractions and companions. Proverbs 13:20, 1 John 2: 15-17.
3. The Responsibility from Children
- Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth. Arrows in the hand of a warrior can be a great defense for one who is well trained and knows how to use them.
- Children need to protect their parents. Children need to see that their parents’ physical needs are met.
“If any widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to show piety at home and to repay their parents; for this is good and acceptable before God” (1 Timothy 5:4).
‘Honor your father and mother,’ which is the first commandment with promise: ‘that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth' (Ephesians. 6:2-3).
- Children should not only honour their parents while they live at home. Parents should be honored as long as they live. One good way of honouring them is to assist them in meeting their needs as they grow old.
- Children protect their parents in a variety of ways. Children need to make sure that their elderly parents have what they need in life: they may need to stay with them, go to the grocery for them, do household chores, and the like.
- Children are to make themselves available to give both physical and financial support whenever their parents are not fine health wise.
- Taking good care of your parents and making them happy that you are part of their world should be one of your greatest joy and priority in life. This is better and more rewarding than what is so called ' a befitting burial' when they died.
- Are you protecting your aging parents? Those of you who are younger and whose parents don’t need help presently, are you willing to protect your aging parents when the time comes?
Conclusion:
- Each child is to be viewed as a heritage, that is, as a gift; they are to be viewed as a reward, that is, as a blessing; they are to be viewed as an arrow in our hands, that is, as something needing direction. How blessed we are that God has entrusted so many to our care.
- Children are an incomparable blessing from God – they give more joy than we can imagine.
- But, God gives us another great blessing: he gives us the privilege of being his children. “Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!” (1 John. 3:1).
- What a privilege to know that we are God’s children and that he is our Father and that we can go to him with our needs, and he will provide.
- Are you God’s child? Do you need to come this morning and become God’s child?
