How we did our child rearing was to keep holding the Gospel before them, and make them obey us, and explain why they should obey their parents, and we trained them from babyhood with fair and loving corporal punishment, and kept on being an example to them of Christ’s righteousness and love, and instilled into them that the Word of God is the only authority and non-negotiable, and to guard against them becoming fake Christians we never forced them to pray, read the Bible (though we encouraged) or put on any spiritual act or performance, we always taught them that if its not from your heart don’t do it, and so far, by God’s grace alone, things are looking good.
We made it clear to them always that they are not Christians just bcos we are Christians, or bcos they come from a Christian family, and they are not Christians bcos they do religious things, read the Bible, pray or go to Church, but they are only Christians when they truly repent of their sin and are converted and born again. We never told them they are Christians, but we said we are praying for the day when you tell us you are a Christian, and we see that you really are.
July 25, 2012 at 2:59 am
And a lot of prayer, and protecting them from the ways the enemy tries to get an entrance into their lives, and taking authority over demonic powers.
July 25, 2012 at 5:16 am
“We made it clear to them always that they are not Christians just bcos we are Christians, or bcos they come from a Christian family, and they are not Christians bcos they do religious things, read the Bible, pray or go to Church, but they are only Christians when they truly repent of their sin and are converted and born again. We never told them they are Christians, but we said we are praying for the day when you tell us you are a Christian, and we see that you really are.”
Amen brother, that’s what we’ve told our children as well.
July 25, 2012 at 12:48 pm
America and Europe wouldn’t be in a mess with their kids if most of their citizens hadn’t turned their backs on God and His word. It’s getting worse down here in Naija with kids sporting potty mouths and saggy trousers, considering adults to be ‘old school’!
July 28, 2012 at 1:37 am
In answer to a question: In our family we don’t usually have a group prayer before meals, except when we have guests who may be more used to that, but the way we’ve done it is that each person personally gives thanks to the LORD quietly. As far back as i can remember our kids have always given thanks before eating without being told to. Whenever there were times when i thought they didn’t, i asked them, Did you thank the LORD? But that was very rare.
While we didn’t force our kids to pray we did require them to obey us in everything, right from toddlers. This is training. Then we had little problems, they always ate everything put on their plate (with some exceptions if they really hate a vegetable) and during meetings they would usually sit quietly without fidgeting for 1, 2 or 3 hours. They were never allowed to just walk around or talk during meetings, even since they were 2 yrs old. It’s just simple training, and such kids are always a lot happier kids than the wild, untrained ones.
I’m not boasting. I’m just exhorting parents to train their children in the way God requires.