The Joy, Privilege and Responsibilities of Raising Children.

                                                                  

It is the solemn and sacred responsibility of parents (mother and father) to give their children the instruction, correction and discipline that will establish them with a Biblical worldview and provide an upbringing that is based on a relationship with God and His word. 

Parents should be examples for their children of what a Christian man and woman are supposed to be. The primary concern of parents should be that of their children's relationship with Jesus Christ.  This focus should be secondary to preparing their children for jobs, professions, ministry in the church or even social standing.

One of the most significant roles a man can fill during his time on earth. Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger by the way you treat them. Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction that comes from the Lord. (Ephesians 6:4)

Parents cannot abdicate or delegate their roles in their children's lives.  It is the family that holds that greatest responsibility in raising children. It is the father and the mother who are responsible for education (both spiritual and natural). The church and the education system of your country are the supporting cast for what you as a parent are raising your children to be.  

Far too often we have allowed the equation to be reversed and parents rely on churches and teachers to be the primary educators of their children.  Most of the men and women involved in these institutions care about the children they instruct and educate and they work hard to be good at what they do.  

Regardless of how good a pastor or teacher is at their job they can never fill the role of mom or dad. Being a parent requires that you take ownership of and responsibility for the upbringing and well-being of your child; there can be no passing the buck.

Some have said that fatherhood can be broken down into three main categories:

1.    Protect
2.    Provide
3.    Guide

This is definitely not the complete list but it does encompass much of what takes places between a father and his children.

Husbands and Wives

Husbands, love your wives and never treat them harshly. (Colossians 3:19). Fathers play a significant role in the lives of both your sons and their daughters. This influence is both direct and indirect. One of the most meaningful things that imparted to children from their father is the role of the husband.

Sons learn what it means to be husbands by the way they see their father treat their mother. Daughters learn what to expect from their husbands by the way they see their father treat their mother. There are always exceptions to every rule, but it is the relationship of our parents that creates our foundational understanding of love.

"The most important thing a father can do for his children is to love their mother."
There is nothing more powerful in the lives of children than a mother and father, who love God, are filled with the Holy Spirit and who love one another. As the parents of two teenage sons we work hard to give them everything that we possibly can. 

The older they get the more we begin to understand our roles in their lives.  Family has created a resource for them throughout their life. They will hopefully be able to look back and see where they came from, what they were taught; and the examples we provided.
We will count ourselves successful if they have learned how to learn.

We will count ourselves successful if they have learned how to make decisions.  We will also count ourselves successful by the friends they make and the women they marry. We will count ourselves successful by the quality of their character and the message they proclaim.

Finally we will count ourselves successful if they love Jesus with all of their hearts. To all parents particularly the fathers reading this article, my prayer is that your patience will endure, that you will be steadfast in all that you do and that God will impart His wisdom to you in a powerful way.