Dont raise a godless fool!

There is no joy for the parent of a godless fool
Prov 17:21b

It is not easy. It takes time, but ignorance is not bliss. If you are a parent, you have a big job, and it is your job to do! God chose you to be your child’s parent. He has given you instruction in His Word, but if you do not take your job seriously… you may raise a godless fool who will bring you anything but joy.

Those are some hard, true words from God’s Word. Being a parent today is not an easy task. We all know it is true! We live in a world where wrong is right and right is wrong. It is easy to feel like an alien and stranger (even in church) when we choose to parent our kids to instill godly values in them. But can I encourage you? If you don’t want to raise a godless fool, if you want to choose joy for your kids and yourself –rather than heartache – be an alien! (I Pet 2:11) Be that parent who gets in your kid’s business, who can say “no”, and who seeks to be their parent rather than their friend. No doubt, you will hear “everyone else gets to” and “it isn’t fair”. Just take those words as confirmation you are doing the right thing! Remember the enemy has his sights set on the destruction of your children and he does not fight fair. Be “unfair” too --check your kid’s texts, get on their Facebook, get to know friends and their friends’ parents. Don’t let your kids go places unless you know what goes on there. Be careful about what you allow in your home – pay attention to the TV shows they watch and music they listen to. Police their time on the internet and the pictures they receive on their phones. Do you know “one out of five kids who are on the internet regularly is approached to have sex” (Conner 2005)? Furthermore, pornography use and “sexting” is growing rampantly among kids – in and out of the church. And can I just say as a mother of teenage boys - it is disheartening to do all I can to protect my sons’ eyes only to take them to church and see a teenage girl dressed in a way that leaves little to the imagination. We have to teach our daughters about modesty and our son’s the value of it. I want my daughter to attract a godly man, and in order to do so, she needs to dress like a godly woman. It is my job as her mother to teach her why this is important and to not allow her to purchase or wear clothing that is inappropriate regardless of what everyone else is doing. Help your kids know it is okay to be different. Remember - you are an alien, and you want your kids to be joyful, wise aliens as well! You have to be on guard, and you need to be wise. It won’t be easy, but it will be worth it!

Prayer: Father, you gave me my kids. You chose me to be their mom. Help me to parent them as you want me to. Give me wisdom and strength. Help me to protect, direct and parent my kids to choose your best. Please strengthen them to be aliens and strangers who choose to follow you rather than fools who try to live their lives outside of your will. Thank you Lord for loving them even more than I do. Thank you for equipping me to parent them as you have called me to do. Amen.