Children

---

Dear fellow Father:

As I sit here in my office working on multiple, time-sensitive government projects, I am reminded of my biggest project at home – my son. Even though there are many people relying on my to complete my tasks and finish certain projects, there is no project of greater importance than that of my children.

There is no doubt in my mind that we are all employed in very important sectors of society. But if we were removed today from that position it would not generate a long term negative effect on our employers. Sure, there would be initial negative results and there would be money lost and time wasted in training a replacement, but in 5 to 10 years the office wouldn’t be much different. In twenty years there wouldn’t be anyone in the office that would even remember our names. So why is it that we invest so much of our time and energy in our office projects and not our children projects? I believe it’s because we don’t see or understand the ultimate value in investing ourselves in our children.

Let’s look at the scenario I wrote about in the second paragraph. What would happen if we were absent in the development of our children? Would there be a noticeable difference in 5-10 years? What would we see in 20 years if we didn’t take an active role in the development of their character? The Bible says that there is foolishness bound up in the heart of a child (Proverbs 22:15). It doesn’t matter if you believe it or not, it is the truth. Try a small experiment to see how much foolishness is in their heart by sending them off to camp or a relative’s house for 1-2 weeks and when they return home you will notice how far “off-the-track” they have gotten.

And, in reality, twenty years is actually short-sighted of us. Our investment, or lack of it, will be seen in how our children raise our grandchildren, and how our children interact with their own spouses, in-laws, co-workers and friends. The time and effort we sow into the lives of our children will have a direct effect on their overall happiness as adults. I am convinced that when we teach them how to appreciate life, respect others, seek godly wisdom and knowledge, and love God with all their heart, we will see a hundred-fold return on our investment.

Imagine a space rocket that shoots off to the moon 385,000 kilometers away from the earth. If the trajectory of that rocket is off by a centimeter in the first kilometer of flight, the rocket will miss the moon by 3.85 kilometers. Our children are like that space rocket. There are specific things we want for them and there are things and situations that we want them to avoid. When it comes to the raising of our children, our actions, or inactions will be multiplied many times over, when it has all been said and done. Either they will arrive at the desired destination or they will be lost in space.

There may be many of you that are in difficult situations with regards to your children right now and you may not know where to turn. But it is essential not to give up. The Bible says that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us (Philippians 4:13). Jesus told His disciples that the Holy Spirit would be sent to guide us in all truth. If you are in a situation of despair and are searching for answers, turn to God. The Bible says that He is our strong tower. We will run to him and be safe (Proverbs 18:10). Ask God to give you the answer to the specific situation that is going on in your life. He will not disappoint you. He will not leave you alone to handle it.

We must cast off the notion that our input in our children’s lives is inconsequential. Proverbs 22:6 says, “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.” This is not only a mandate from God, but it is ultimately life rewarding in the end.

A father and a friend,
Gabriel

---

PLEASE ENCOURAGE AUTHOR BELOW LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE