Friday, September 16, 2011
2 Timothy 3:15 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for ... training in righteousness.
USE THE SCRIPTURES TO TRAIN YOUR CHILDREN IN RIGHTEOUSNESS
The Lord gave us His Word for another good purpose: To provide instruction in living the kind of a life that will bring glory to His name, a life patterned after the loving example of Jesus. Some examples:
1) Johnny is playing with a toy on the living room floor. His sister Sally walks in and says: "Can I play with your toy for a while?" Johnny says: "Sure, you can take your turn." He does this because he remembers the Bible story his dad taught him about how God, in love, shared with him the Greatest Gift ever (Jesus!) and he wants to show the same kind of unselfish love for his sister.
2) Josh is playing soccer at recess. A bully calls him a mean name. Josh responds not by calling the bully a mean name back but by ignoring what the bully said. He does this because he recalls from a Sunday School lesson at church how Jesus reacted to the insults His enemies hurled at Him while hanging on the cross. Jesus didn't retaliate but entrusted the matter into the hands of His heavenly Father.
3) It's late Friday night. Stephanie is out with friends. She's been instructed by her parents to be home by 11:00. Stephanie would like to stay out later but returns home on time. She does it because she remembers the story of how the 12-year old Jesus cheerfully obeyed His parents, which she heard in a Sunday sermon. She also remembers from her study of the Fourth Commandment that her parents are God's representatives, given to her for her blessing. "So when I show obedient love for Dad and Mom I show love for my heavenly Father too!"
What made it possible for Johnny and Josh and Stephanie to make these God-pleasing choices? They were blessed with parents who used God's Word to train them in righteousness as they grew up. The Holy Spirit used the stories of Jesus they learned at home, church, and Sunday School to strengthen them in faith and to cultivate in them Christlike attitudes, attitudes which prompted them to say: "What would my dear Father in heaven have me do in this situation? How can I respond to His love?"
