Many parents are diligent at pushing their children to do
well in their academics. It’s easy to find them going out of
their way to ensure their children have all the books,
hardware and software to excel academically and
otherwise. If their children show some promise in areas
like sports or music, they will sacrifice a lot and invest
heavily in some state of the art kit to enhance their growth
in that area. All these are great but there is nothing better
than combining them with sound spiritual training.
It is quite disheartening to see a child carrying around a
shabby bible – a torn and worn ‘book’ in a version he or
she cannot comprehend not to talk less of enjoying its
contents. Dear reader, isn’t the bible the most important
book for living a successful and victorious Christian life?
When I look through the bookshelves of some homes and I
cannot find any book, DVDs or music of spiritual value that
can communicate the power of Christ in simple and
impacting ways to children, I always wonder how those
children can be motivated to read and live the Word of God
without decent resources.
Concentrating only on mental and physical development
will deprive any child of essential spiritual nourishment. It
is like continuously feeding them a diet of carbohydrates
alone without the right measure of protein and vitamins.
Please know that a child without God is a future that is not
secure. So, sit down and think of creative, engaging ways
to help your child grow spiritually. Think about ways to
incorporate spiritual activity into their everyday life –
playtime, bath time, mealtime, even just spending time with
them, etc. I personally never permit a day to go by without
having conversations with my children about God’s Word. I
even use their playtime to go over their memory verses
with them. Even while they are doing other things, I tend to
just jump in and say something of spiritual value to them
and I have found that doing such things actually helps them
remember.
If your children happen to be older; teens perhaps, you can
still come up with practical ideas that will catch their
attention. Be resourceful! Study them and observe what
they enjoy doing, and ask the Holy Spirit to give you
creative ideas. Please don’t be careless about it; it is so
important to stuff them with God’s Word while you have
their fullest attention! Ask your child for ideas too – you
might be well surprised at their innovative ideas.
Doing nothing or leaving their spiritual growth to the
Sunday school or children’s church teacher, or teens
church is highly irresponsible. Take full responsibility.
Many parents quote Isaiah 8:18 endlessly, and there is
nothing wrong with speaking what you want to see. I agree
that our children will indeed be signs and wonders on the
earth. However, always remember that no child can get
there by accident or by prayer alone. Your push is
required! May The Lord give you grace and make your
children mighty in Jesus name (Psalm 112:1-2).
To nourish your children spiritually, you must also
maintain a spiritually buoyant lifestyle and to be successful
at it, grace is required. However, grace from God will only
be released on those who have a personal relationship with
Him through Jesus Christ. He will release abundant help
upon you when you confess your sins and accept Jesus as
your Lord and Saviour. That way, you will be saved. If you
are ready to be saved, please say this prayer: “Lord Jesus,
I come to You today. I am a sinner. I can’t help myself.
Forgive me of my sins. From today, I accept You as my
Lord and Saviour. Thank You Jesus for saving me. Now, I
know I am born again.”
Congratulations! I am so excited for you and look forward
to your testimonies. Till I come your way next time, please
call or write to share your testimonies with me through
kemioyedepo@yahoo.com and contact@faithoyedepo.org,
Tel: 08141320204; 07026385437. You can connect with
me on my Facebook page, which is called Crisis-Proof
Your Family, and my blog –
www.crisisproofyourfamilyblog.com!
For more insight, these books authored by Pastor Faith
Oyedepo are available at the Dominion Bookstores in all
Living Faith Churches and other leading Christian
Bookstores: Raising godly Children & Understanding
Motherhood.
Remain ever blessed!
Kemi Oyedepo
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