Christian or Not - You Can Still Point Your Kids The Right Way!
You meticulously remove the arrow from your quiver. You stroke smooth the feathers at its tail, and you check the point to ensure its razor sharp. You then place it in your bow, and string it just right. As you do this, you realize the target has a hole where the bull's eye is normally located, and the only accurate shot is straight through that opening. Anything else - to the left or right, too high or too low - will miss the bull's eye and shatter your beautiful arrow to pieces. Now imagine that arrow...is your child. Are you going to aim carefully, blocking out all possible distractions that could sidetrack your attention? Your responsibility as a parent is clearly stated in Proverbs 22:6, and I love Eugene Peterson's rendering of that verse in his paraphrase version of the Bible entitled The Message. It reads: While that exhortation comes from the Word of God, it applies to all moms and dads - even those who don't know Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. If that's you...or if that's your spouse...let me quickly share three parenting pointers that will help you aim your children the right way, even when husband and wife don't share the same faith. Watch yourself Whether you're a Christian or not, credibility with your children is paramount. You must already be headed in the same direction you wish to aim your kids. If you don't want them to lie, have integrity. If you want them to work hard at school, be diligent in everything you do. Model what you want them to be, and let there be consistency between what you tell them and what you do. Watch your attitude If you're the Christian parent, remember that your parenting is not a matter of control. It's not a matter of being right. It's not a matter of trying to offset the bad influence of the other parent. It is a matter of working together with your unbelieving spouse to establish like-minded goals for your children. Please, don't get hung up on the faith question. Instead, be a positive reflection of your faith in how you come alongside your husband or wife as a partner to parent your children. Watch the target Your differences in belief cannot be swept under the rug. They do exist - but when it comes to how you parent your children, those differences must be moved to the background of your relationship. Remember the Biblical principle from 1 Peter 3:1-7. Believers in Christ are not to rely on argumentation to win their unbelieving spouses, but rather on the quality of their lives. There's no better place to display that quality than in how you strive together as parents toward the same desired target - to raise responsible adults.
"Point your kids in the right direction - when they're old they won't be lost."