I suppose that every parent here today can relate to the question: What does the future hold for my children. In fact most parents probably worry about it more than the child does. It reminds me of the story of the father that came home from work every day and found his child on the couch playing video games. The father said if you ever plan on making anything of yourself you need to get up off that couch and get a job, when Abraham Lincoln was your age he chopped wood all day, and the child said yeah and when he was your age he was the President!
Parents in the bible believed that there was something that they could do that would profoundly impact their children’s lives and it was called the blessing. Each child was given a general blessing and then the firstborn was given a special blessing. We know the story and how that led to Jacob stealing the firstborns blessing away from Esau in Genesis 27and I’m not advocating for that. What I feel, and this is my thinking, is what we need in this society today is to wake up and recognize the need of every child to receive a blessing.
Every child wants to know that his parents believe in them, and they have a glorious future, that we love you and are pleased with you. We are created by God to live under a blessing. Remember what the bible says in:
Genesis 1:27-28-NKJV
27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28 Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
God’s original plan as I see it was that we were to live under his blessing.
Jesus understood this and knew that children needed to feel blessed.
Mark 10:13-16-KJV
13 And they brought young children to him, that he should touch them: and his disciples rebuked those that brought them.
14 But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.
15 Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein. 16 And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them.
Jesus demonstrated His knowledge of the genuine need of children to be blessed.
Sadly in America today it seems to me that many children are living under a curse rather a blessing. The weight of sin is being passed down from generation to generation, not the sin itself, let me be clear, but the consequences of it! That’s one reason gangs thrive in this world, they offer a counterfeit version of a blessing to young people that they should be receiving at home. In the Old Testament a blessing was usually reserved for a special occasion, but I want to tell you today that we should not wait for a special occasion to bless our children. Each person in Little River’s family is a very important part in shaping the lives of our young people in a positive way. I want to suggest a few things that we can do as Parents, Grandparents, bible School Teachers, Family and Friends that will help our young people in a very positive way.
We must talk to our children and young adults. There is power in words!
Proverbs 18:21-NIV
21 The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.
We need to let our children know we are proud of them, we need to brag about them not only when they are not around, but let them hear us!
We must build up our children. Nothing is as fragile as a young person’s self-image. Imagine how you would feel if the two people that should love you the most attack you. The Bible never speaks of disciplining children with words, it does mention a rod!! (Proverbs 13:24), but never hateful words. You Big Dummy, you’re an idiot, you will never amount to anything. Paul in writing to the Colossians in:
Colossians 3:21-NKJV
21 Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.
The Bible recognizes that if we are constantly hurtful in our words someone might feel as they are not worth anything or worse they might just live up to your words and expectations. We must love our young people for who they are and not for what they do, which is exactly the way God our Father shows His love for us.
Romans 5:8-NKJV
8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
We must show our young people that they have a special future. Blessings always include a statement that the child’s potential will be reached in some special way. God created a special future for them and us, and we have a special future with Him. Look at some of Jacobs blessings to his children:
Genesis 49:16-NKJV
16 “Dan shall judge his people As one of the tribes of Israel. (He will provide Justice)
Genesis 49:20-NKJV
20 “Bread from Asher shall be rich, And he shall yield royal dainties.
Genesis 49:21-NKJV
21 “Naphtali is a deer let loose; He uses beautiful words.
Genesis 49:22-NIV
22 “Joseph is a fruitful vine, a fruitful vine near a spring, whose branches climb over a wall.
Genesis 49:27-28-NIV
27 “Benjamin is a ravenous wolf; in the morning he devours the prey, in the evening he divides the plunder.”
28 All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father said to them when he blessed them, giving each the blessing appropriate to him.
Jacob was picturing a powerful future for his children. Who will set the tone for your child’s blessings, strangers, friends at school or do we reserve that role for ourselves? God has painted a picture for our future and what it holds for us!
John 14:2-3-NIV
2 My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. (Heaven)
Gangs in a school in Indianapolis were so bad that they had to cancel all extracurricular activities, football, basketball, band, track, all events because it just wasn’t safe. The principal had a very interesting idea. He called all the dads and ask them if they would be security dads. His plan worked, all the dads really had to do was be present and restore order at the activities.
If you have parents that won’t leave you alone, Thank God! Thank God for curfews, Dress codes, timeouts, worrying and caring about you. Thank God for Christian Parents that care enough to correct and discipline children because they are providing a generational discipline that must exist! The devil prowls around causing trouble with this and will split families apart, and cause conflicts and insecurities.
I found some questionnaires from a High School class that I taught when we attended Westwood. I asked all the youth in the class many questions and one of them was Describe with one word for your Mom and Dad. There were responses like involved, discipline, firm, and fun but there was one response I really wanted to see and it said over caring and this was from my son Lee. I considered it a compliment to all the youth’s parents that their children had involved parents that were fun yet firm and instilled discipline simply put over caring.
What one word would your children and let’s broaden this, the youth you are around use for you?
I would like to read something called “Wet oatmeal kisses” by Erma Bombeck
WET OATMEAL KISSES-by Erma Bombeck
This was written in response to a young mother’s complaint about the house being messy and the children being unruly.
The baby is teething; The children are crying.
Your husband just called and said “Eat dinner without me.”
One of these days you’ll explode and shout to the kids,
“Why don’t you grow up and act your age?” And they will. Or “You guys get outside and find yourself something to do,” and “don’t slam the door” And they don’t. You’ll straighten their bedrooms all neat and tidy; toys displayed on the shelf; Hangers in the closet; animals caged.
You’ll yell, “Now I want it to stay this way.” And it will.
You’ll yell, “I want complete privacy on the phone — no screaming! Do you hear me?”
And no one will answer.
No more plastic tablecloths with stains of spaghetti. No more dandelion bouquets.
No more iron-on patches. No more wet knotted shoelaces, muddy boots, or rubber bands for ponytails. Imagine a lipstick with a point! No babysitter for New Year’s Eve.
Washing clothes only once a week. No PTA meetings or silly school plays where your child is a tree. No car pools, blaring stereos, or forgotten lunch money.
No more Christmas presents made of library paste and toothpicks. No wet oatmeal kisses.
No more tooth fairy. No more giggles in the dark, scraped knees to kiss
or sticky fingers to wash.
Only a voice asking – “Why don’t you grow up?” And a silent echo — “I did.”
Did they with your blessings?
It is my fear that we will spend so much time worrying about our jobs and getting the mortgage paid, the grass cut, the laundry done that we won’t take the time to reflect in the moments we have right now. Today is the day that God has given us, this very minute. There may not be a tomorrow. My prayer for you is that today we all take the time to bless our families!
