Raising Sinners

Raising Sinners

By Lisa Clark

It's hard to believe that a tiny newborn baby is a little sinner. Cuddly, warm, precious little sinner.  I guess it doesn't take long before that reality sets in. It would be nice if God provided us a handbook on "Raising Sinners." Chapter 3 might possibly be titled, "What to Do When They Start to Lie."  Chapter 6 could read, "Cheating - What Happens When They Get Caught?" And so on. The problem is that one book could not contain all the sins our children might/probably will commit. And to add fuel to the fire, we're sinners raising sinners. God put us in our children's lives to teach them His ways, even though He knows we are going to fall short on a daily basis. We're responsible for teaching His Holiness to our kids, and yet we are so needy and incapable.

Praise God for giving us His Holy Spirit to indwell us and lead us. We truly are ill equipped to teach our children truth without the Holy Spirit. When I was in college, I had the privilege to sit under some incredible Bible study teachers, Mr. and Mrs. Boyd. They lived the Word of Christ before me. I learned so much. One truth, in particular, was that God's Word is the mind of Christ. If I want to be like Christ, to imitate Him, I must know what He is thinking. I must be in His Word.

If we are going to raise children who love Jesus and want to imitate Him, we need His word, His mind, to be our guide. I guess He did give us a manual after all. Ephesians is a letter written by Paul with eternal purposes. Ephesians 6:4, "And, fathers, do not provoke your children to anger; but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord." While studying this chapter years ago, I took some notes. Maybe you will gain some insights as well…

Principles of Disciplining Your Children

1. Start Early!
2. Always Talk and Discuss First.
3. Keep Your Word.
4. Punish ASAP!
5. Parents Need to Present a Unified Front.
6. Punish Firmly and Right (appropriate consequences).
7. Discipline in Love.
8. Strive for Repentance (not just confession).
 
Sounds overwhelming but it doesn't have to be. God has equipped us with all we'll ever need… His Spirit and His Word. Take advantage of both, starting today.