Raising Children
God commands us to increase and multiply.
Genesis 1:28
God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it."
This command was never revoked. In fact, it is a great blessing and honor to have children.
The Godly women of the Bible yearned for children, like Sarai, Rebekah, Rachel, Monoa's wife, Hannah, Elizebeth, one of whom even said, "Give me children or I will die." Certainly, children are a blessing from God.
Genesis 24:60
They blessed Rebekah and said to her, “May you, our sister, become thousands of ten thousands, and may your descendants possess the gate of those who hate them.”
Psalm 127:3-5 "Sons are a heritage from the LORD, children a reward from him. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are sons born in one's youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. They will not be put to shame when they contend with their enemies in the gate."
Psalm 128:3
"Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine within your house, your children like olive plants around your table."
Sexual intercourse is a natural result of marriage. Children are the natural result of sexual intercourse.
Contraceptives were created to prevent pregnancy. They were created to prevent that which is natural, therefore, contraceptives are unnatural and certainly unbiblical.
Abortion was created to end pregnancy.
It is a medical "procedure" to kill a defenseless human child.
It is murder. Murder is clearly against God's Law.
Not only are we to have children, but we are to raise them
in the Lord.
The desire to use contraception and the desire to have an abortion stem from the same unbiblical thought:
"I don't want children."
Why would someone not want that which God calls a blessing?
Unless they don't believe that children are blessings, but that would be calling God a liar.
Deuteronomy 6:6-9
These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.
Proverbs 1:8-9
Hear, my son, your father’s instruction and do not forsake your mother’s teaching; Indeed, they are a graceful wreath to your head and ornaments about your neck.
Proverbs 6:20,21
My son, keep your father's commands and do not forsake your mother's teaching. Bind them upon your heart forever; fasten them around your neck.
Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go, Even when he is old he will not depart from it.
What does it mean to raise your children?
When most people think about raising children, they think of little more than sending them to a school for a "good" education.
To be sure, education is important, which is why we strongly recommend homeschooling, but there is much more to raising children than their academics.
First and foremost, children are to be brought up in the Lord. This means that they are to be instructed on the truths of Scripture.
Mothers and Fathers are to teach their children Biblical history, Biblical virtues, God's commands, and our salvation through Christ Jesus. They do this by reading the Bible, instruction on the catechism, going to church, and by living a life for Christ in the presence of their children.
Children must be taught to keep God's commands, be obedient to their parents and respectful to adults. If they throw a fit, lie, steal, cheat, cuss, disobey or are disrespectful, they should be punished appropriately.
Joel 1:3
"Tell it to your children, and let your children tell it to their children, and their children to the next generation."
Many parents don't even attempt to discipline their children, or they give them an ineffective punishment, or they give out threats but never follow through on those threats.
Question:
Do you know what is worse than a bratty, irritating, disrespectful, disobedient child?
Answer:
The parent that does little about it.
By not disciplining your children you are helping to create a world of selfish people who lack self-control, and manners. A society of uncouth, lying, thieving, cheaters. In short, they are man-childs and Karens.
Proverbs 13:24 "He who withholds his rod hates his son, but he who loves him disciplines him diligently.
Proverbs 22:15 "Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; The rod of discipline will remove it far from him."
Proverbs 29:15 "The rod and reproof give wisdom, but a child who gets his own way brings shame to his mother."
At the same time, it is important that you do not embitter your children.
Ephesians 6:4 "Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord."
Colossians 3:20, 21 "Children, be obedient to your parents in all things, for this is well-pleasing to the Lord. Fathers, do not exasperate your children, so that they will not lose heart."
When disciplining your children, don't forget to provide them with a lengthy discussion of what they did wrong and what they should have done, so that they can repent and receive forgiveness.
As a father, it is imperative that you show your children love, even while you discipline, because you are demonstrating the love that God has for each of us.
When all is said and done, give your children a hug, tell them that you love them, and pray with them.
Lead the prayer, showing them how to ask God for forgiveness.
And ask God to give them the strength to overcome such sins in the future.
Is there more to raising
children than this?
Yes!
In order for a society to run smoothly it needs to have agreed upon laws that govern the society.
If some of us stop at red lights while others of us run red lights, we would soon have serious problems.
If it makes sense to you that a society should have agreed upon laws to govern their people, you would agree that there should be agreed upon rules of decorum. For if we had multiple rulebooks guiding us on how to behave and interact with people, there would be great confusion and unintentional offenses. Eventually the society would abandon their interest in etiquette altogether.
Teaching children basic manners is part of what it means to raise children in a functioning society.
Teach your children:
* To be clean and well dressed.
* Not to pick their noses.
* Not to bite or clip their nails in public.
* To be on time to all appointments.
* When you’re introduced to someone new, shake their hand and say, “It’s nice to meet you.”
* Be hospitable. Offer your seat to others in need.
* Say “please” and “thank you.”
* Don’t interrupt someone while they are speaking.
* If you need someone’s immediate attention, say “Excuse me”.
* Avoid coughing, sneezing, burping, or other rude noises. If it happens, say “Excuse me.”
* Apologize if you accidentally bump into someone.
* Hold the door open for other people.
* When you leave, say, “It was a pleasure meeting you.”
When at the table:
* Put your napkin in your lap.
* Pass bowls of food to the right.
* Keep your elbows off the table.
* Eat only after everyone has been served, and the prayer said.
* Always chew with your mouth closed.
* Don’t talk with food in your mouth.
* Don’t complain about the food.
*Avoid making noises while you eat.
* Don’t reach across someone's plate.
* Use a napkin. Don't lick your fingers.
* Don't eat anything off the floor.
* Don’t rush to eat and leave. Be sociable.
* Don't scrape or lick your plate.
* Don’t pick your teeth at the table.
* Compliment the host on the food and thank him for the invitation.
* When leaving the table, say “Please excuse me.”
When having a conversation:
* Introduce yourself and shake hands.
* Show interest and participate in the conversation.
* Don’t gossip or say unkind things about others.
* Offer a differing opinion kindly, rather than arguing.
* Give respect and answer honest questions. Don't use sarcasm.
* Don’t monopolize a conversation.
* Always introduce others before they join the conversation.
* Don’t change the subject until it’s clear the conversation has ended.
Is there more to raising
children than this?
Yes there is!
It is also vitally important to raise our children using the Biblical Roles of Men and Women.
Men were created to lead, provide, and protect. Women were created for husbands, children, and homes.
When raising children, we must keep these roles in mind, knowing that we are training our children to be adult men and adult women.
When raising boys, we prepare and encourage them to be future leaders of the home, church, and society. As such, we teach them how to make decisions based on God's Word and reason rather than emotion. As leaders, we also prepare them to provide for and protect those who will one day be within their care.
We give them responsibilities at an early age, to teach them how to become responsible. When they fail at one of their responsibilities, we take corrective action to remedy the situation.
An irresponsible person has no business leading anything. We want our boys to become comfortable at leading, so that it is second nature to them.
Likewise, we teach them all manner of real-life skills. The more skills we teach them - the better.
It is difficult to do what needs to be done when you don't know how to do that which needs to be done.
Some examples are: home repairs, car repairs, property maintenance, how to use tools, survival skills etc.
Along with this, we encourage our young boys to dress up in occupational costumes when they play, as they are preparing themselves to provide for a family.
They are experimenting with different occupations, figuring out if they have interest in those positions.
We let our boys roughhouse with other boys, as they are establishing a hierarchy of authority and learning to be better protectors.
We also let them solve minor arguments and disputes among themselves. Letting them "work it out." This builds for lasting friendships and teaches forgiveness.
If they get hurt, we tell them to get up and wipe away their tears. We are raising men not sissies.
Confidence is not instilled into the hearts of men by seeing their leader crying. Can you imagine what a platoon of soldiers would think if they saw their captain crying as they were about to take a hill? It shows weakness, and that weakness will spread fear like a disease among the men.
Yes, Jesus cried, but it certainly wasn't often, and it wasn't out of fear or pain.
We even encourage our sons to use toy guns while they play: War, Cops and Robbers, and Cowboys and Indians. They are learning to become better protectors.
All this being done from within a Christian framework. Teaching them that not all violence is bad, sometimes it is necessary to protect the innocent.
We also encourage our sons to learn and use real guns, for these are tools that make better providers (when hunting) and better protectors (if a dangerous situation arises).
The knowledge of weaponry does amazing things for a young man when building his self-confidence.
Our daughters, on the other hand, should be taught to be feminine ladies. They have an entirely different role and purpose than men and should be encouraged to accept this natural role instead of seeking after the man's role as the feminist movement (and our society) has taught women to do.
Our girls should be encouraged to dress up in princess outfits, beatifying themselves for their future husbands.
They should be encouraged to dream of their future prince charming in hopes that he will one day, make her dreams of marriage and motherhood a reality.
They should be encouraged to play with dolls, feed their "babies", put them to bed, and push them along in their toy strollers, as they are preparing for motherhood.
Little girls have these natural God-given instincts until it is driven out of them by the constant bombardment of society's feminist propaganda.
They should be encouraged to play house and have tea-parties as they are learning the art of hospitality, in preparation for one day having a home to care for.
At an early age they should begin helping out their mothers with the tasks and chores of a home. This prepares them to take care of their own homes.
They should also be taught as many feminine skills as possible. Anything that has to do with keeping a home and caring for husband and children, including medical skills.
When our daughters are older, they should volunteer their time helping new mothers or babysit the neighbor's children. This prepares them for motherhood.
What should our children not be allowed to do?
They should not take on the role of the opposite sex. They should not take on the attitudes of the opposite sex. They should not take on the apparel of the opposite sex.
Deuteronomy 22:5
"The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman's garment: for all that do so are abomination unto the LORD thy God."
Our boys should not wear dresses, makeup, or nail polish. They would be doing that which God calls an abomination. The apostle Paul even tells us that it is a disgrace for a man to have long hair like that of a woman.
1 Corinthians 11:14,15
"Doesn’t nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a disgrace to him, but that if a woman has long hair, it is her glory?"
Our daughters should not be encouraged to participate in competitive sports. It is not lady-like. It is not feminine. It does not reenforce the concept of "Husband, Children, and Homes."
Some may think that such behavior does no harm, and that it is nothing more than a little fun. These people do not understand what they are doing, nor do they understand the purpose of sports.
The origin of "sports" goes back to ancient times when young men were training for war. They would perform in all manner of activities, what we call: track and field, running, throwing javelins, throwing discusses, wrestling, boxing, swimming, charioteering, and numerous team warfare competitions.
In modern sports, women are taught to be competitive and aggressive, characteristics that are not conducive to a good marriage or raising children.
Oftentimes you will hear someone yelling to our daughters, "Go for the ball" or "Take the hit", but is this biblical?
The Bible tells us that women are to have a "quiet and submissive spirit", the exact opposite of attitudes that are encouraged in sports.
This is another reason for homeschooling, because there isn't a school in existence (to my knowledge) that teaches the proper biblical roles of men and women.
In today's schools, everyone is treated the same, taught the same, and set on the same career paths.
Rarely, if ever, does one hear a guidance counselor encourage a young girl in her aspirations to become a wife and mother in the home.
Raising children requires parents to be near their children. An almost impossible task when both parents are working outside the home.
If this sounds like a lot of work to you, you would be right. It is an incredible amount of work with an incredible amount of responsibility. To raise children is more than just academics, it is a training over the entire child. To mold them into what God wants them to be.
This kind of instruction cannot be done by a teacher who has her hands full with 20 other students. This kind of instruction needs near constant attention from the watchful eyes of mother and father, to correct and or encourage a thousand and one actions or infractions a day.
Yes, it is a lot of work, but it comes with great joy to those who take on such a responsibility.
3 John 1:4
I have no greater joy than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth.