For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment; that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him. Genesis 18:19

The English poet, Alexander Pope, wrote, “As the twig is bent, so grows the tree.” When new trees are planted stakes are often put into the ground beside the tree. The stakes are there for a purpose—to train the tree to grow straight and tall.

Parenting is the process of taking care of children until they are old enough to take care of themselves. It is a tremendous responsibility, and must not be taken lightly. As believers, you are mandated to raise your children in a godly way. It is a journey, process, and ministry.

It is important to have a vision to raise godly children. Furthermore, you must have a strategy for that vision, and diligently follow through on it. As a parent (or aspiring one), you have the following duties:
#1. Set an example for your children.

“And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up” (Deuteronomy 6:5-7, NLT).

#2. Instruct your children not to forget the teachings of God.

“But watch out! Be careful never to forget what you yourself have seen. Do not let these memories escape from your mind as long as you live! And be sure to pass them on to your children and grandchildren…” (Deuteronomy 4:9, NLT).

#3. Observe the power of first things.
Effective parents must know how to prioritise – God first, family second and vocation third in the order of things.

Precious one, you should not appear to your children to have double standards. They are not listening to what you are saying, as much as watching what you are doing. If you are going to bring your children up God’s way, you must first be a model of godly behaviour that they can emulate.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, grant me wisdom to be an exemplary parent, and help me to raise my children in a godly way, in Jesus’ Name. Amen