Wednesday, October 17, 2007

My biggest fear

I filled out a paper the other day that asked: What is your biggest fear? I thought about it and awnsered: One of my biggest fears is having my children turn away from God when they are older (teenagers etc.)
When training my children, I must remember to instill in them a spiritual purpose. Sometimes I seem to put alot of focus on academic excellence, accomplishment in sports, socialization, musical training, or just plain discipline. These are all valuable to my children. However, I must not neglect the most important area of spiritual purpose. It has been said that the formative years are before the age of twelve. Parents help form the identity of their children during this time. By helping them establish for a lifetime how their child will relate to God and each other. Children are most open to the heart of a parent and we need to be aware of the impact our words have on them! Our children need to know the truth of the Bible in their early years so they can be free from the deceptions the world has to offer. Spiritual purpose builds character and establishes vision that will not be shaken. (When I drop my children off somewhere I always say, "use your manners, let your light shine and don't let your faith be shaken and I love you" or to Landen I simply say, "no pushing, no hitting, no biting and I love you!" Its true, they hear it over and over. I believe that children have a spiritual dimension that needs to be nourished and fed by the Word of God. If we do not do this, they will lose ground when they grow up. Which is my biggest fear! I can help them understand their spirtual purpose in life by praying for them everyday. I find that a short prayer at bedtime has become a treasured time together. God promises that children who live a life of spiritual purpose from their earliest years never depart from HIS ways. So as long as I do my job I should never face my biggest fear!