“No!” he intoned, and stomped his little foot. Today he did not want to change out of his pajamas. Yesterday he didn’t want to use the potty. The day before, he wanted dessert but he wouldn’t even taste his dinner. Why is this one syllable so easy to learn to use? Why not, “yes, Mom! I know you love me and only want what’s best for me?” Why not, “right away, Dad! I appreciate how hard you work to provide this home, these clothes, this nutritious meal for me?” It’s laughable when you put it that way. What child has ever said anything even close to a parent? (If yours has before adulthood, I’d love to hear about it!)
Parenting is hard. Motherhood is painful, physically, mentally, and emotionally. From birth into adulthood, the cord that binds our hearts to the heart of a child is never truly severed. Fatherhood, likewise is hard work, requiring more from a man than he is equipped to give in his own strength. We all need something more. We need God. We need Him like we need the air we breathe, the food we eat, the water we drink. All the things Jesus said He is, God freely gives. (II Timothy 3:16, John 6:35, 4:14, 7:37-39)
“By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life.
We have received all of this by coming to know him (Jesus), the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises.
These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.
In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises.
Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone.
The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
But those who fail to develop in this way are shortsighted or blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their old sins.
So, dear brothers and sisters, work hard to prove that you really are among those God has called and chosen.
Do these things, and you will never fall away.”
2 Peter 1:3-10 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/2pe.1.3-5.NLT
We want to skip straight from faith to brotherly love for everyone without embracing the obedience that leads to moral excellence, knowledge, self-control, patient endurance, and godliness but God doesn’t ask us to do something He hasn’t already done first. In the person of Christ, He leads us by example and He asks us to do the same.
“Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him.”
Psalms 127:3 NIV
https://bible.com/bible/111/psa.127.3.NIV
His rewards on this earth are His trusts, His tests, to see if we will follow His lead, after all, He is our very great and eternal reward. He owns it all and He gives to whom He chooses. We do not own anything. We are simply stewards. The earth is His. He owns the cattle on a thousand hills. Every soul is His creation, formed in His image, not ours. We may share physical traits but we are made to resemble Him, with ever increasing glory, becoming more like the Son He loves. This happens through a life of obedient surrender, and that life, the abundant life that Jesus came to secure for us is only possible in the power of His Holy Spirit.
“Train up a child in the way he should go [teaching him to seek God’s wisdom and will for his abilities and talents], Even when he is old he will not depart from it. [Eph 6:4; 2 Tim 3:15]”
Proverbs 22:6 AMP
https://bible.com/bible/1588/pro.22.6.AMP
“Dedicate your children to God and point them in the way that they should go, and the values they’ve learned from you will be with them for life.”
Proverbs 22:6 TPT
https://bible.com/bible/1849/pro.22.6.TPT
“Fathers, don’t frustrate your children with no-win scenarios. Take them by the hand and lead them in the way of the Master.”
Ephesians 6:4 MSG
https://bible.com/bible/97/eph.6.4.MSG
Seeing myself as God sees me definitely entails my identity in Christ which provides for my forgiveness under His grace but it also involves my sanctification, my being transformed by the renewing of my mind through His Word. John wrote, “But to all who believed (Jesus) and accepted Him, he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God.” (John 1:12-13 NLT https://bible.com/bible/116/jhn.1.12-13.NLT) John also recorded these words of Jesus on obedience.
“If you love me, obey my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you.
Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.
All who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will come and make our home with each of them.”
John 14:15-16, 21, 23 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/jhn.14.15-23.NLT
““You must love the Lord your God and always obey his requirements, decrees, regulations, and commands.
Keep in mind that I am not talking now to your children, who have never experienced the discipline of the Lord your God or seen his greatness and his strong hand and powerful arm.
Your children didn’t see how the Lord cared for you in the wilderness until you arrived here.
But you have seen the Lord perform all these mighty deeds with your own eyes!”
Deuteronomy 11:1-2, 5, 7 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/deu.11.1-7.NLT
“What then does Moses infer from this generational distinction? (1) The older generation should be quick to obey, because of all that they have had the opportunity to learn (Deut. 11:8). Here I am, wondering about my children’s limited experience, when the first thing God says is that I am the one with no excuse. (2) The older generation must systematically pass on what they have learned to their children (Deut. 11:19-21); again, the prime responsibility is mine, not theirs.”
Read the Bible – Deuteronomy 11, Psalms 95-96, Isaiah 39, Revelation 9
““So commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these words of mine. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders.
Teach them to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up.
Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates, so that as long as the sky remains above the earth, you and your children may flourish in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors.
Be careful to obey all these commands I am giving you.
Show love to the Lord your God by walking in his ways and holding tightly to him.”
Deuteronomy 11:18-22 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/deu.11.18-22.NLT
God honored His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Israel for hundreds of years before giving them His law, His commandments to live by and to teach their children. His favor rested on a nation but allegiance for them came in the same way it does for us- one choice at a time.
“I am God, your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of a house of slaves. No other gods, only me.
No carved gods of any size, shape, or form of anything whatever, whether of things that fly or walk or swim. Don’t bow down to them and don’t serve them because I am God, your God, and I’m a most jealous God.
I hold parents responsible for any sins they pass on to their children to the third, and yes, even to the fourth generation. But I’m lovingly loyal to the thousands who love me and keep my commandments.
No using the name of God, your God, in curses or silly banter; God won’t put up with the irreverent use of his name.
No working on the Sabbath; keep it holy just as God, your God, commanded you. Work six days, doing everything you have to do, but the seventh day is a Sabbath, a Rest Day—no work: not you, your son, your daughter, your servant, your maid, your ox, your donkey (or any of your animals), and not even the foreigner visiting your town. That way your servants and maids will get the same rest as you.
Don’t ever forget that you were slaves in Egypt and God, your God, got you out of there in a powerful show of strength. That’s why God, your God, commands you to observe the day of Sabbath rest.
Respect your father and mother—God, your God, commands it! You’ll have a long life; the land that God is giving you will treat you well.
No murder.
No adultery.
No stealing.
No lies about your neighbor.
No coveting your neighbor’s wife. And no lusting for his house, field, servant, maid, ox, or donkey either—nothing that belongs to your neighbor!”
Deuteronomy 5:6-21 MSG
https://bible.com/bible/97/deu.5.7-21.MSG
“Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.””
Mark 10:15 NIV
https://bible.com/bible/111/mrk.10.15.NIV
“Oh, that they would always have hearts like this, that they might fear me and obey all my commands!
If they did, they and their descendants would prosper forever.”
Deuteronomy 5:29 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/deu.5.29.NLT
Who benefits most from this kind of obedience? It’s like the question of which came first, the chicken or the egg. It’s a win-win for us and our families to a thousand generations of those who love Him and obey His commands! The world needs to see this kind of obedience in order that they may know that our God reigns.
“I will exalt you, my God and King, and praise your name forever and ever. I will praise you every day; yes, I will praise you forever.
Great is the Lord! He is most worthy of praise! No one can measure his greatness.
Let each generation tell its children of your mighty acts; let them proclaim your power.”
Psalms 145:1-4 NLT
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