Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. Psalms 127:3-4

     Do you value your children? The answer is not as easy as it first appears. It is an important question to ponder, especially in these times in which we are living. Juvenile crimes remain high in many parts of our nation. We have an abortion rate of over one million unborn babies per year. These and many other statistics indicate that many people do not place a high value on their children. Of those that are not aborted in the womb, large numbers are left to raise themselves. It is no surprise that they oftentimes become entangled in questionable activities. The purpose of this article is to examine what the Bible says about children and about our parental responsibility towards them.

     In Psalm 127 verse three, Solomon writes, "Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord." This means that children are part of our Godly inheritance, given to us by the Lord himself. This fact alone should be enough to dissuade anyone who is contemplating aborting their unborn child. They are a gift from our Heavenly Father. When we receive an inheritance from a family member or loved one, we generally hold that gift in high regard and use it responsibly. This is the message that Solomon is trying to convey about children. They are a blessing to enjoy and are given to us to train up and point in the right direction.

     In verse four of this Psalm, Solomon uses the illustration of an arrow to describe children in the hands of their parents. In ancient times the bow and arrow was one of the most important tools of hunters throughout the world. The arrows were carefully crafted in order to hit their intended target. Many hours were spent smoothing and straightening these arrows. The hunter depended on an arrow's accuracy for his every meal. This was no small thing--his survival, and that of his family, were at stake! The same care and attention should be given to our children because they are an inheritance from the Lord. They are the ones upon whom we will one day be dependant, when we are no longer able to care for ourselves. It is our responsibility to shape and mould our children in such a manner that they reach their intended target. The target for the Christian family should be the mark of the high calling that is in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:14).

     As Christians we show value for our children by training them up in the Lord. In Ephesians 4, Paul writes that we are not to "provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the lord." What does it mean to provoke your children? It means to purposely anger them without reason. Could it be that many of the violent crimes that youngsters commit today are out of anger towards neglectful parents? Sadly, I have counseled numerous children that do not have a mother or father to come home to after school. Many parents are sacrificing time with their children in order to increase their material wealth. This leads to angry children that are bitter towards their parents. These angry children often become engaged in other immoral activities.

     If we truly value our children, then we will do what it takes to bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. This includes taking them to the place where His word is preached. Do you require your children to attend church with you? This also includes teaching and living a Godly example in front of them at home. Many so-called Christans have done great harm to their families by acting holy in the presence of others but behaving perversely, sinfully, and selfishly in the privacy of their homes. As Christians we are called to let our conversation--our daily walk--be as becometh the gospel of Christ (Philippians 1:27). We need to be especially careful to obey this commandment in our own homes! Both of these tasks can sometimes be a daunting task, but you can gain comfort from Proverbs 22:6. "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it." If we are faithful to take our children to a church where the truth is preached, then it will be a blessing to them as they mature. If we put their spiritual needs above our selfish, material needs, then we will be able to let go our mighty arrows, knowing that we have pointed them towards the correct target.

Thursday, August 03, 2006

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Michael Green, Jr. is pastor of Palm Chapel Primitive Baptist Church (www.palmchapel.org) in Crestview, FL. Palm Chapel meets every Sunday at 10:30am and Wednesday at 6:00pm. Pastor Green can be contacted at (850) 689-3383 or by email at pastor@palmchapel.org. Pastor Green warmly invites you to come and worship at Palm Chapel Primitive Baptist Church

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