From
Walk with your children
A MOM
January 2, 201 8 - Rahab Wambui
Children are a gift from the Lord. They don’t
belong to us, we are just custodians. Parenting
is not easy and our children do not come with
manuals. We need to take time and reflect on
the expectations we have for their lives. As
parents, we can break or make the lives of our
children. Below are just a few lessons we can
teach them early so that we put them on the
right path.
Obeying God: Teach children about God at an
early age. God is our Father and every child
should know that. It is the responsibility of
parents to take their children to church
religiously. The church should invest in the
children ministry so as to help mold children in
the best way possible. They should put in a lot
of resources so as to make sure that children
are taught the word of God well so as to be able
to stand firm even in future. How much has the
cartoon industry invested so as to attract
children? Many churches take the children’s
ministry with little or no seriousness. Every
church should invest in the children ministry so
as to nurture them in the best way possible.
Disciplining Children: The Bible is very clear on
matters attaining to disciplining of children. If
you fail to instill good behavior in your children
early enough, they are likely to become a
burden to you and the society. There is a
saying in Kiswahili that says ‘asiyefunzwa na
mamaye atafunzwa na dunia’ meaning that if
you fail to discipline your child, the world will do
it and you know how ruthless the world can be.
For example if your child becomes a thief and
you fail to correct it early enough, the world may
do it by having him jailed for life or face death
through mob justice.
Proverbs 23:1 3~1 4 says 1 3 “Do not withhold
discipline from a child; if you strike him with a
rod, he will not die. 1 4 If you strike him with
the rod,
you will save his soul from Sheol.”
Obedience: There is a common saying that
says “obedience is better than sacrifice.” It is
important to teach children to practice
obedience rather than struggle with the
sacrifices that come with lack of obedience.
Teach them how to choose obedience over
sacrifice. For example if a child starts taking
drugs, the cost of rehabilitation is very high
and chances are that he or she will never be
normal again.