There was a young man who had a little baby—his very first. He lovingly gazed at her and considered her future, and the awesome God-given responsibility of training this tiny person—so he began to think on what in specific he might need to teach her. Being a God-fearing man, he began searching the Scriptures, beginning with the Proverbs… but rapidly became disheartened. He had a difficult time sorting his random thoughts into a plan of action! But in the midst of his discouragement, he realized something he had not yet considered: being a good father meant more than simply knowing what to teach; he needed to be what he wanted to teach. "I was thinking about molding her; God was thinking about molding me," (Bob Schultz, Boyhood and Beyond, Great Expectations Book Co., Eugene, Oregon, ©2004, p213).
Any reasonable parent wants the best for his children; and as Christians, that means we want them to follow after Christ. But there has to be a great deal of effort on our part: we have to guide them, recognizing that just as we make our own choices, so will they—and some of their choices will be in opposition to God's will. For instance, Hezekiah was one of the very best kings of Judah. Scripture records that, "He trusted in the LORD, the God of Israel; so that after him there was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor among those who were before him. For he clung to the LORD; he did not depart from following Him, but kept His commandments, which the LORD had commanded Moses," 2 Kings 18:5,6. And yet, his son chose to be one of the absolute worst kings of Judah: "…Manasseh seduced [the people] to do evil more than the nations whom the LORD destroyed before the sons of Israel," 2 Kings 21:9.
We can and should teach our children about God, His goodness, and about His will for our lives. Ancient Israel was told, "These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates," Deut 6:6-9. We have a similar obligation; but notice the verse that precedes that passage: "You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might," Deut 6:5. You will have absolutely no credibility with your children if what you teach them conflicts with what they see in your life—and, of course, that begins in your heart! Thoughts, words, and behaviors all start there, whether good or evil, Mt 15:19.
Effecting a change in your child's life—or in anyone's, for that matter—has to begin with a change in your own. You can't really change anyone: your spouse, your children, your extended family, or your friends… except yourself. You have full control over that individual. And that change is critical if you want to influence anyone for Christ. Whether old or young, your children (and all those over whom you have influence), will notice, because "the tree is known by its fruit," Mt 12:33b.
