Delight in your Children
By S. L. Kliever
“Children are a bother!”
“My kids were just hard to
raise. I didn’t enjoy it.”
“I didn’t enjoy being
pregnant. I was glad when he was born so I could put him down and get a break
from him.”
“We decided to only have
two.”
“Kids are so expensive. We
couldn’t afford any more.”
Have you heard Christians say
these things? What does the Bible say?
Psalm 127:3 “Lo, children are
an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.”
How many kids people have and
how they raise them, that is between them and God. I’m not here to criticize
how small or big people’s families are. But what concerns me more is the negative
attitude towards children that seems to seep through those statements. And as a child, I remember there being grown
ups that I didn’t much care for, and as I matured, I sensed they didn’t like me
either!
For a long time now it seems
like having children is considered almost a curse. A bother. But if they are a reward,
(a blessing) from Him, we as Christians should not have a bad attitude towards
family!
I believe it’s a heart issue.
Satan doesn’t want us to love or delight in our families. As we can see from
the world just outside our homes, `family’ is becoming minority. As Christians
we need a heart change towards our children. And if we just `can’t’ delight in
them, then we need to ask the Lord to give us a change of heart.
Jesus loves children. When He
walked this earth, He took time for them. Sat them on His lap and blessed them.
“For such is the kingdom of heaven.” If they are so important to our Lord,
shouldn’t then be to us too? I sense our ME first culture doesn’t want to take
time for children.
Our Heavenly Father is our
example, and this is what He says about His children. “For whom the Lord loveth
he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.” (Proverbs
3:12)
The Lord delights in His
children! We too should delight in them as well. Does it mean we will have
clear sailing, easy days all the time, no problems or trying times? No. It’s
hard, we have to discipline; our patience is tried and some times it is just
hard to enjoy parenthood. But we should delight in the children the Lord gives
us.
I’ve been listening to Chuck
Swindoll on Biblical Parenting. He preached on this very subject. And as we
delight in our kids, loving them for who they are and who the Lord made them to
be, and raising them in the bend or personalities that the Lord has given them,
directing them in the ways of the Lord, he claims we will see less rebellion
and more children walking with the Lord.
And that is what is most
important! What is done down here for eternity! Not whether I have the time to
do the things I want, or that we have the latest in everything, which requires
more time consumed by getting money and things. No our goal should be our
children!
Proverbs 29:17 “Correct thy
son, and he shall give thee rest; yea, he shall give delight unto thy soul.”
Let us delight in the
blessings the Lord has given us! As we correct bad behaviour and nurture our
little ones, let us not forget to delight in them as well.
The little ones he gives us
to raise, he will also provide the provisions to take care of them. If He
blesses you with children, He will always proved ways for us to care for their
needs.
Something that was a blessing
for me to hear recently was an older woman I know saying that it was an
encouragement to her to see the younger generation of women excited and wanting
children and bigger families.
Yes children are a heritage from
the Lord!
This I think, is the Biblical
way.
