What Do Your Children See?

For a good part of my life, I felt that whenever I tried to get close to God, He would move farther away. It seemed to me that He wasn’t interested in a relationship with me. You see, that’s the way it was with my earthly father. He didn’t know how to have a relationship with someone. So, when I tried to get close to him, he moved farther away emotionally. 

Then as I was reading the book of James I came across this verse, “draw near to me and I will draw near to you…” (4:8) The Lord’s promise jumped off the page to me. God DID want a relationship with me! Now I had a choice. Would I believe my feelings? Or would I believe God’s Word? The point is this – our children will relate to their heavenly Father in much the same way as they relate to us. 

This was a sobering thought, as I thought about my own children, and it took me to my knees to ask the Lord for His mercy to my children for my failures as a dad. My prayer was that they would relate to Him according to truth. 

Friend, how about you? What kind of image of God do your children learn from your example? Are you warm, inviting, and involved? Or are you distant, cold, and absent? Do you always have time for your children or are you too busy? Do you set a good example in living a righteous life or are you a hypocrite?  

No matter what you and I teach our children in family devotional time, they will learn what God is like by our attitudes and example. We need our heavenly Father to teach us and give us all we need to “train our children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4 KJV).  

Men, let’s humble ourselves before God to receive from Him all that we need to raise our children in the way which honors Him, and so that they will have a true picture of Him according to truth. Don’t be discouraged if you have made mistakes. Don’t give up! Ask your child’s forgiveness and God’s help to change. Then seek the help of a brother who has wisdom and let him hold you accountable. The Lord will strengthen you. You can do it!