Series: I Need Help Getting The Monkey Off My Back

Series: I Need Help Getting The Monkey Off My Back

Part 8- Dealing With Monkeys Of Key Situations - Parenting

Hebrews 12:1 - 3 ¹Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

^{2Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
^{3For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.}}

Children are truly a blessing. Christ treated them special. He called them to Himself and then told those around how special they were.

Matthew 19:14 But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.

Children are at times called accidents, but they are not.

Psalms 127:3 Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.

God's Word tells us this where Jacob told Esau about his family…

Genesis 33:5 And he lifted up his eyes, and saw the women and the children; and said, Who are those with thee? And he said, The children which God hath graciously given thy servant.

It should be no surprise to us that his son, Joseph, also describes them as a gift from God.

Genesis 48:9 And Joseph said unto his father, They are my sons, whom God hath given me in this place. And he said, Bring them, I pray thee, unto me, and I will bless them.

I found on a website: http://www.qualityparenting.com/ the following

All children yearn to bring out their best

— to grow and fulfill their highest potential

— to develop and express their finest qualities.

Once we acknowledge that truth, we see our

children with new eyes. We realize that

negative behavior is actually a cry for help:

"Help me find a more effective way to meet

my needs."

Half the job of being a good parent is to look for

and support the best within each child. The

other half is finding the best within ourselves.

When I looked at this, I wondered, "could this also be true spiritually? Don't children wish to do their best for God?

Also found there: 10 Commandments for Parents

1. Pay attention to me.

2. Don’t substitute toys for love.

3. Be happy.

4. Treat me fairly.

5. Give me responsibilities that fit my age.

6. Let me solve my own problems.

7. Remember you’re not me and I’m not you.

8. Don’t compare me.

9. Drop your fantasies; we’re real people.

10. Love me unconditionally.

Okay, I just threw those at you, I am not going to deal with all the right and wrong things about raising you children - God knows there are all kinds of different ideas about how to approach child-rearing. I am going to deal with the spiritual aspect, and our responsibilities to God and to our chilren.

Before I start, I will say, no matter how much we "preach Christ" to our children, if we do not deal with them properly physically and emotionally we will not reach them spiritually!

Parenthood is not for scaredy-cats! It is hard, scary, dirty, truing, and tiring. But it is also joyful, exhilarating, pleasing, blessed and more.

Okay. When we talk about parenthood, I need to start with the fact that parents need to be…
Partners in parenthood
May not be fun, may not seem all that masculine, but PARENTS need to…
Share in duties

Share in decisions

Share in difficulties
Then, it is great when they…
Share in delightful moments
One of the things that should be easy is the fact that parents need to be…
Lenders of love

Isaiah 49:15 Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee.

Luke 15:20 And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.

I know some of you may be thinking we give our love, not lend it. I know, but our goal should be to lend it and get love back.

We can do this by giving…
Love constantly

Love by choice

Love with childlike love - ever noticed how quick children give back love?

Love clearly - no doubt

Love in circles - what comes around goes around - give and get love back

Maybe one of the most difficult things to do with children at times, but parents need to become…
Deciders and deliverers of discipline
Area of struggle for many parents - Bible is not silent here

Proverbs 13:24 He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes.

Proverbs 19:18 Chasten thy son while there is hope, and let not thy soul spare for his crying.

Understand that…

Guidance/direction will be required - ever notice how quickly kids pick up unwanted things?

Deuteronomy 4:9 Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life: but teach them thy sons, and thy sons’ sons;

Deuteronomy 31:13 And that their children, which have not known any thing, may hear, and learn to fear the LORD your God, as long as ye live in the land whither ye go over Jordan to possess it.

Guidance/direction will be resisted - it is not their nature to go quietly

Proverbs 29:15 The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame.

Guidance/direction should be regular - we must be careful and be consistent. It is a day in and day out routine.

Isaiah 28:9 - 10 ⁹Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts.
^{10For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:}
Guidance/direction will be rewarded - persevere it is worth it

Proverbs 23:24 The father of the righteous shall greatly rejoice: and he that begetteth a wise child shall have joy of him.

Also I found a verse that mentions grandparents…

Proverbs 17:6 Children’s children are the crown of old men; and the glory of children are their fathers.

I have mentioned the responsibilities of parents to teach children, but there is a place for their responsibility too.

Proverbs 23:22 Hearken unto thy father that begat thee, and despise not thy mother when she is old.

Ephesians 6:1 - 3
^{1Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.
^{2Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;)
^{3That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.}}}

Having said that, understand there is still personal responsibilities for our action and ultimately our decision to accept or reject Christ as our Savior.
Another area parents need to excel in, is, they need to be…

Motivators of morality (in their children's lives)
They must…
Praise righteousness

Practice righteousness (Oh yeah practice in front of them 24/7

Ecclesiastes 12:1 Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;

Plan for righteousness

Proper righteousness

Come from Christ - not from actions

Matthew 5:20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.

Philippians 1:11 Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.
We are certainly responsible to be…
Communicators of Christ (before our children)

1 Timothy 5:4 But if any widow have children or nephews, let them learn first to show piety at home, and to requite [repay] their parents: for that is good and acceptable before God.

Judges 13:8 Then Manoah entreated the LORD, and said, O my Lord, let the man of God which thou didst send come again unto us, and teach us what we shall do unto the child that shall be born.
Who hasn't heard the often-quoted scripture…

Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

I can say that this is every God-fearing believer's desire to see their children follow the Lord - all the days of their lives.

Showing the Lord's benevolence (Great love)

Showing the Lord's business (lifestyle)

Includes worship

Nehemiah 12:43 Also that day they offered great sacrifices, and rejoiced: for God had made them rejoice with great joy: the wives also and the children rejoiced: so that the joy of Jerusalem was heard even afar off.

Matthew 21:15 And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the Son of David; they were sore displeased,
Showing the Lord's benefits

Joshua 24:15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.
Showing the Lord's bestowal

Jesus was given for us

He brings us eternal life through Him

Gary Marcum - New Beginnings Church - 120907am