Jesus Christ, having paid fully for us missing the mark, has made us His children! Ephesians 2:7 says that He wants to show us the exceeding riches of His grace. No searching, no striving, just let Him reveal it. "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord." (Colossians 3:16) Thus is begun a study through the Bible regarding parenting. Please, with each word that is said, weigh out for your own the Word of Life in the Bible and let the Word dwell richly in you.
Parenting is a topic that many strive to work out through experience and time. While this information is very valuable and not to be ignored; Christ has written His word to be a flashlight of sorts, always pointing us back to the path that we should be walking. With such a rich resource in His word, we are challenged to let Him instruct us in all our ways. While parenting may not be what you are doing in the physical sense, we are all children of God. That being said, this is not written only to those with influence on a small child, but to all of us who are influenced by a very BIG God.
The first time that the words father or mother is mentioned in the entire Bible, is that when a man is joined to his wife in Genesis 2:24: "Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh." It is certainly not an accident that the beginning of a relationship involving children starts with unity. First, the couple leaves his family and then they bind themselves together. In fact, they have chosen a bond so intimate, that God calls them "one flesh." Having not yet born any children, nor having been born of a human parent, Adam and Eve still set this standard of leaving family to be united with your spouse. This was intended as a step in order to further intimacy with the spouse, not an excuse to dislike in-laws! The intimacy established between a man and his wife creates a foundation for the relationship to be able to support children.
In Genesis chapter 4 we see Adam and Eve's first children, Cain and Abel. We don't see much interaction between Adam and Eve and their children. We do, however, see that the Lord directly communicated with each of them. Also it seems that God had set up some expectation for their sacrifices that they knew as communicated by either God or Adam and Eve... or both. In either case, it is applicable that God wants to set up standards for our children. He has written them for us in His word. Because, just as much, we need these standards as children of the Living God!
In Genesis 4:25-26 it is written, "And Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son and named him Seth, "For God has appointed another seed for me instead of Abel, whom Cain killed." And as for Seth, to him also a son was born; and he named him Enosh. Then men began to call on the name of the LORD." Here begins the lineage of those that call upon the name of the Lord. Adam and Eve had another child, it is not mentioned as to whether there were children in between Cain and Abel. What is mentioned, is that Seth's son, Enosh marked when people began calling upon the name of the Lord. This is something that as parents and children alike, we should be basing every decision on: the Lord's voice. In Romans 10:12-17 it says:
“For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For “whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.” How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things!” But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “LORD, who has believed our report?” So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”
We are each called to preach the word of God to those around us. To each other, to our families, to our children. God speaks through His word. He speaks through His still small voice. He also speaks through Godly counsel. Be used, as children of God, to shepherd and to love others by laying our lives down as living sacrifices: to our children, to His children.
