A couple of months ago, I asked my kids, "How do you know that I love you? What do I say or do that lets you know?"
They each gave some expected answers, like how I spend time with them, how I take them to breakfast, how I provide for the family, and even that I just tell them. But the last thing that Elijah said caught me off-guard.
He told me that one of the reasons he knows that I love him is when he sees me reading my Bible and praying. I asked him to explain.
"Well, since you love God, I know that you love me."
He's right. My love for him (and his siblings, and definitely for my wife) is more than just a choice of what I want to do. It's based on the fact that God loves me, and I love God. My love for him is rooted in and flows out of my faith in Jesus and in the Spirit's constant work in my life.
Parents -- do you want to be a better parent for your children? Then become a better disciple of Jesus.
Do you want to love your children as much as you can? Then love Jesus to the utmost.
As JD Greear advises, our kids need to see Jesus in us, and they need to see us seeking Jesus.
"Train up a child in the way he should go, Even when he is old he will not depart from it."Proverbs 22:6
"Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord."
Ephesians 6:4
Related Links:
- Passing on Your Faith
- How Would You Define a Perfect Parent?
- Your Kids Don't Expect You to Be Perfect
- Parenting in the Lord
- Raising Disciples in 3 Steps
- "How Do You Know That Jesus Is Real?"
**image courtesy of trazomfreak via flickr
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