Prepared Living

Introduction

Today we will look at committing to developing the most important parts of our lives to the Lord: our children.

Children today will face more struggles and difficulties than in any other point in creation. This is true because we have such advanced technology today that reaches into every sphere of life.

This not only affects children, but us too. We are affected by technology and the pressures of the world. We struggle to focus on the important things of life because we are swamped by all the things we see.

Think about this for just a minute. We see everything happening in the world and we feel the burdens. We begin to disciple our children then by how we stress about these situations.

We then pressure our children in areas because we are pressured. We all are then being discipled by the world over the Lord. We are not dedicating our children correctly because we have not dedicated ourselves rightly.

We can do this through the power of the Lord in and for us. He has given us some clues how to live and act that will help us raise children, yes I said children not our children because in the church we are all connected and here to help.

Today we will look at some of these clues from the book of Proverbs. In Prov. 22:5-6 we read,

Proverbs 22:5–6 ESV

5 Thorns and snares are in the way of the crooked; whoever guards his soul will keep far from them. 6 Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.

Guard, train, and stay are what we see in these verses. What does all this mean?

Be On Guard

Thorns and snares are in the way of the crooked.

What are these thorns and snares? What could be the things in the way?

They can be anything. They can be the technology we just talked about. They can be work, school, fun, money, games, sports, lust, drink, drugs, or any number of things. Simply put, they can be anything.

We avoid these by guarding our souls. We guard our souls by filtering all things through the Word of God and our Savior.

We stay focused on Him and what He has said and we can avoid many falls. We can avoid the thorns and snares of the world.

But, while we remain on guard we know that our Savior is near.

Like this story,

The early American Indians had a unique practice of training young braves. On the night of a boy's thirteenth birthday, after learning hunting, scouting, and fishing skills, he was put to one final test. He was placed in a dense forest to spend the entire night alone. Until then, he had never been away from the security of the family and the tribe. But on this night, he was blindfolded and taken several miles away. When he took off the blindfold, he was in the middle of a thick woods and he was terrified! Every time a twig snapped, he visualized a wild animal ready to pounce. After what seemed like an eternity, dawn broke and the first rays of sunlight entered the interior of the forest. Looking around, the boy saw flowers, trees, and the outline of the path. Then, to his utter astonishment, he beheld the figure of a man standing just a few feet away, armed with a bow and arrow. It was his father. He had been there all night long.

Just as this would humble the young boy and test his ability to endure through the evils surrounding him, it taught him his father was for him and would not abandon him to the wiles of the evil world.

We stay on course and avoid the thorns through this type of relationship with our Father in heaven and we help our children in the same way.

When we commit to raising our children with this same commitment, we will see a change.

We see that the father raised the boy in specific ways, but the boy had to go it alone for the night. But the boy was not alone, the father was near.

Our Father is always near and He has given us many ways to defend ourselves, but He knows He is the one to do the major fighting for us. He loves us and helps us in all things, we can make it through with Him and raise children correctly because of Him.

Training Them

This verse has caused many parents much undue stress and distress.

Too many people have taught that it is not a promise but a general rule of thumb. They will say that if you train a child in the ways of the Lord, then it is less likely that they will leave and if they do they will return later in life.

I don’t believe this is correct. No, we would not say this about other Scriptures.

We would not say that “believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved,” (Acts 16:31), is a general rule of thumb. No, we say it is truth and what saves.

So, saying this verse is a general rule of thumb makes it questionable to its truth. It becomes nothing when we do this.

No, this verse means dedicate, consecrate. We train our children in right living. We help them grow and learn who they are.

We do not force or make them do things they are not gifted to do, or make them be something they are not.

The verse literally says we “train up a child according to his way.” This means we train them in the manners and habits they have. We strengthen them in what they are gifted to do.

We come alongside them and help them grow in the natural and God gifted gifts they have.

We correct them and discipline them, yes. We correct and show them the truth, yes, We show them the Lord, yes.

But we also help them be who they are. We help them grow into the man or woman God has designed them to be. We help them learn that they are enough in the Lord and do not need anyone to tell them they need to be this way or that way to be someone.

We help them see they are made for a reason and God does not make mistakes.

So, if you are a cowboy and your son is blessed with talents in science and technology, you build there.

If you are a doctor or lawyer and your child is mechanically minded you build there.

Simply, we build on the good traits God has given them and show them we love them rather than show them we love our plans for them more than what they feel drawn to do in life.

This does not mean we allow them to follow the wicked bent of their desires, but to grow in the natural giftings of the Lord in their lives.

Nor, does this mean we allow them to get their way all the time. This only creates adults who are like children. This is a spoiled brat that is entitled and lives a ruined life.

As one commentator said, “Let a boy do what he wants and he will become a self-willed adult incapable of change!” (Richard J. Clifford, Proverbs: A Commentary, First edition, The Old Testament Library (Louisville, KY; London; Leiden: Westminster John Knox Press, 1999), 197.)

See, if we let them do all they want when young, they will continue that in their adulthood. But, if we guide them and correct them and point them into their giftings but along with this punish them and instill discipline in their lives, they will remember that in adulthood.

This verse is not a promise that if we train our kids in the fear and admonition of the Lord , that they will stay the course. Nor, is it a general rule of thumb. No, rather, it is a charge to discipline and train our kids away from their own foolish devices and to train them in the gifting’s God gave them.

We are to guide them and direct them because if left alone they “will choose the wrong and destructive path.” (Jonathan Akin, Exalting Jesus in Proverbs, ed. David Platt, Daniel L. Akin, and Tony Merida, Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary (Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2017), 136.)

Our duty is to stop the foolishness that the children will naturally follow. We must instill discipline and utilize discipline while raising children.

If we do not these kids will become entitled brats who are selfish, struggle with relational issues, no impulse control, inability to submit to authority, reject truth for “their truth,” or rebel against everything because everything is against them.

Simply, “You have to discipline. You have to hold them accountable. You cannot say yes all the time. They don’t need to always get their way. I know the world says that repressing things is harmful, but the world’s wisdom is foolish.” (Akin, 137).

But, in doing this, we must not suppress their natural gifts or callings because we think it is not right. If it is not sinful, we must allow them to grow and become who God made them to be.

We encourage them along with disciplining them.

We build them up in the right way after we tear them down from the wrong way.

We strengthen them where the world wants to weaken them.

We draw them into the right paths while showing them why the wrong paths are not good.

We are not their buddies while they are young because we raise them to follow the right way in life, and so we can be friends when they are grown.

Remember Children are like wet cement. Whatever falls on them makes an impression.

They will carry whatever they learn into adulthood, let us always try and make that be something good for their growth and for the growth of others around them.

We build into them the ability to stay in what the have learned.

They may have a few moments with foolishness in life, but this is normal since we all struggle with sin in our live, but when we have disciplined them correctly, encouraged them correctly, and lived life with them, they will be on the right path.

Our children see us in our actions.

Our anger shows them to be angry.

Our passion shows them to be passionate.

Our life shows them what is important.

Let us all examine how we have lived and see what we did or did not do and give that to the Lord and seek to live a life that honors God and influences children correctly.

I want to end this with a story about a man who became a painter named Benjamin West. He tells of how he became a painter.

His mother left him at home to look after his sister, Sally. She was his little sister, and she said, “Don’t mess around while I’m gone. Look after Sally, and I’ll be back.” Soon as his mother left the house, he found coloring inks, and he got these coloring inks out, and he got brushes, and he got paper, and he got the paper out, and he started to paint a portrait of Sally, in the course of which he got colored ink everyplace—all over everything, not just the paper. And of course, his mother came back, and when she walked in the room and saw the incredible mess, she also looked forward, and she picked up the paper. And she said, “It’s Sally!” And she bent down and kissed her son. And West said, “My mother’s kiss made me a painter.”

Part of raising our children up in the way they should go involves not coming down on them so hard they never do something they are talented at again. Recognize the giftings and bless them in that, but don’t just explode and punish them away from doing what they are gifted at.

When we do this, and not only with children but people in general, then they will not be as quick to insult, betray, or turn to evil. Let us always seek to help others and be good and help grow the good we can in them.

Baby Dedication Script

Deuteronomy 6:4-7

During this short ceremony, children are dedicated to God. Both the congregation and the parents commit to doing their part to instruct the children in the ways of the Lord.

Introduction

Today, we have set aside part of this service to dedicate children in our congregation to God. While many Christian denominations celebrate and act out this ritual in many different ways, we can all agree that God loves children and desires them to be raised to love him and love others. Today, we are going to do two things:

1. We will ask that God give these children wisdom, understanding, and knowledge. We will ask that God would protect these children and lead them to know and love him.

2. We will also ask that God would give their parents (as well as all of us) wisdom, understanding, and knowledge. May we create an environment where these children can learn about God and serve him with all their beings?

Names of Children and Parents

Today, we are dedicating:

Gracie Louise and Laynie Mae Morrison

Moxon Moore

Emory Kate Thompson

Wylie Dean Lehman

Bible Verse

Deuteronomy 6:4–7 ESV

4 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. 6 And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.

Application

The application of this text is clear: parents must raise their children in the ways of the Lord.

Parents, while the world is busy and our schedules are packed full, we must not forget to talk to our children about the things of God. We must be willing to answer their difficult questions. We must read the Bible to them. We must ask them about what they learn in church. Like Jesus, we must even use everyday items—such as seeds, stories, and parables—to help our children better understand God. However, just as much, we must also model as an example what it means to follow Jesus. We must live out what we hope to see in our children’s lives.

Church, we too are responsible to these children. We must create a safe place for them to learn about God. We must be willing to answer their difficult questions. We must offer grace, love, and forgiveness. We must also support [PARENTS NAMES]. As a church, we should ensure that these children never go without the basic necessities of life. We should offer babysitting, protection, and gentleness. For those who have already raised children, you must be the listening ear you wished you had when you first had children. Everyone has a role; everyone has a part to play.

Parent Commitments

For each set of parents, ask them to publicly pledge to raise their child in the ways of God.

PARENTS, do you publicly promise, before God and your local church, to raise you’re child or children in the ways of the Lord? To teach them the gospel, to help them understand the Bible, and to share the love of Jesus with them? If so, say, “We do.”

Parents: We do.

Do you also commit to fulfilling your responsibilities as a parent, doing your best to protect, instruct, and (when needed) to discipline them for the sake of their personal development?

Parents: We do.

Moreover, just as important, do you promise to model Christ to them, sacrificing for them, as well as offering grace and forgiveness? Furthermore, when the time comes, apologize when you act selfishly, in sinful anger, or in pride.

Parents: We do.

Congregation Commitments

Next, address your congregation:

Congregation, do you promise to offer these parents love, grace, support, prayers, and service? Do you also promise to pray for these children and to help teach them the ways of the Lord as best you can? If so, say, “We do.”

Congregation: We do.

Dedication Prayer

Offer a prayer of dedication and blessing for the children. One by one, conclude by saying:

[CHILD’S NAME], may the Lord bless you and keep you; may the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; may the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.

Offer Gift

After the prayer, offer parents a certificate of dedication and a small gift.