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“Raising Your Kids For Christ”

How important is it for children to heed their parents’ instruction? It could be the “difference” between heaven and hell. As parents, we have been blessed with some of the most precious gifts from God (Psalm 127:3-5; cf. Genesis 33:5). May we never take them for granted and may we ever prepare them for eternity.

With the above thoughts in mind, the following twenty suggestions on “Raising Your Kids For Christ” by Brother Gary Workman are presented:

1) Teach them what the “the wages of sin” are and what the “gift of God” is (Romans 6:23).

2) Clearly demonstrate to them at all times that serving God and working in His kingdom is the most important priority of your life (Matthew 6:33).

3) Let your child’s earliest memories include daily readings of Bible stories and frequent discussions of God’s Word in the family circle (2 Timothy 3:15).

4) Give them their own Bible even before they can read. Read to them from it at home and have them take it to church services (cf. Deuteronomy 6:6-7). In their pre-school years, have them begin a lifetime habit of regular memorization and review of important Bible verses (Psalm 119:11,16).

5) Teach them to pray by having them repeat after you phrase by phrase as soon as they are able. Continue their spiritual development by praying audibly with them daily (Ephesians 6:18). (Never teach them a memorized prayer, but one that comes from the heart!).

6) Have “devotional” times and speak often of the joys of serving God (Philippians 4:4). Sing spiritual songs about it (Colossians 3:16), and instill in them a longing to go to heaven.

7) Spend the necessary time to be the main spiritual teacher of your children, more so than the preacher or Bible class teacher, etc. (Ephesians 6:4), and you will produce young people who will not blindly follow some unstable teacher or youth group but who will, instead, be leaders in helping mold other young people for Christ.

8) Teach them that lying is one of the worst things they could ever do (Revelation 21:8, 27), and punish them firmly (at the “seat” of the problem) when you discover they’ve done it (Proverbs 29:15-17). This will help keep their lives an “open book” before you and save you possible heartache in their teenage years.

9) Train them early in principles of modesty and you won’t have to combat shorts, halter-tops and scanty swimsuits in years to come (1 Timothy 2:9).

10) Keep their speech pure by not allowing yourself (or them) to ever use profanity or even a substitute such as: “golly”, “gee”, “gosh”, “darn”, “heck”, etc. (Matthew 12:36-37).

11) Help keep their minds pure by monitoring their reading and viewing materials and personal friendships closely in their early years (1 Corinthians 15:33). Caution them often about the “trash” Satan peddles, and you will develop them into conscientious young people who will do much of their own censoring and who will understand that even “PG” movies are usually unfit for Christian consumption (1 Peter 2:11).

12) Be responsible enough to bring up the subject of sex and morality. (Don’t wait for them to ask or expect them to get their information elsewhere.) Start early! Be open, straightforward, and repetitious (Ephesians 5:3-5). Then the time will never come when either you or they will be embarrassed to discuss any aspect of it. And your guidance will give them a solid foundation to weather any temptations of teenage years (2 Timothy 2:22).

13) Instill in your children a strong desire to save themselves for the one who will someday be their mate (Romans 13:13-14) and to consider him (or her) the greatest thief who ever lived who would steal from them their virtue. Encourage them to always be cautious in extending romantic favors. Expose the danger of “making out” by telling them how one step leads to another.

14) Reinforce your moral teaching (Genesis 18:19) by setting specific guidelines for dating such as: “No going to dances or other unwholesome activities; No sitting as a couple in a parked car or unattended house; Be home by curfew time,” etc. Never assume that your minor son or daughter is old enough or wise enough to to no longer need your supervision (1 Corinthians 10:12).

15) Train your children to date only those individuals who are morally upright, and urge them strongly to plan on marrying only a Christian (Matthew 6:33; 2 Corinthians 6:16).

16) Raise your children to have respect for and to cherish warm relationships with older people (1 Peter 5:5). Keep them from forming youth “cliques” when they are young, and most likely they will never be factious, divisive, or cliquish when they are older.

17) Teach your children the virtue of work by giving them regular jobs and responsibilities around the home, and you will rear them to be productive adults who will go through life on their own initiative, paying their own way (1 Thessalonians 4:11-12; 2 Thessalonians 3:10). And teach them by example to be generous (2 Corinthians 9:7).

18) Train those of your children who are members for the body of Christ never to get “too busy” with secular pursuits to do something for the Lord’s cause. Provide opportunities for them to spend time weekly in advancing the work of the church (John 9:4). If you run out of ideas, ask some involved person for suggestions.

19) Encourage them often to plan the future of their lives to include a “career” for Christ as, for example, a Bible class teacher, religious writer, song director or composer, preacher, deacon, elder…or a combination of these. But in any case, urge them to be personal proclaimers of the Gospel (Acts 8:4), and encourage them to start with teaching their friends when they are young! (cf. Ecclesiastes 12:1; 1 Timothy 4:12).

20) Build a family life in such a way that home is a happy place which means more to your children than any other place they could go (with the exception of church services), and you will provide a lifetime of fond memories here on earth and a longing for the great reunion in heaven (1 Thessalonians 4:13-17).

Conclusion:

Brethren, if we as parents will “instill” the spiritual principles and values that Brother Workman has presented above (from God’s Word) into our children, not only will the world be a more godly place to live, but the church of our Lord will have better opportunities for spiritual growth and development (Ephesians 4:11-16). As concerned Christian parents, may we continually pray that God will help us in reaching this much needed spiritual goal.

Source: Gary Workman, “Raising Your Kids for Christ,” The Peninsula Proclaimer (church of Christ in Newport News, Virginia, August 1981).