Raising Strong Kids
“It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.” —Frederick Douglas
How can we as parents raise strong children — who love God and possess godly character?
Psalm 127:3-5 (AMP) Behold, children are a heritage and a gift from the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward. 4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one’s youth. 5 How blessed [happy and fortunate] is the man whose quiver is filled with them…
When the Psalmist wrote “children are a heritage from the Lord,” it literally means; they belong to Him.
“We are called by God to empower our children to become all that God has destined them to be.”
Ephesians 6:4 (NKJV) And you, fathers [parents], do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition [instruction] of the Lord.
How can we as parents raise strong children — who love God and possess godly character?
1. Model it
2 Timothy 1:5 (NKJV) when I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also.
What kind of example are we passing on? Is it one of blessing or brokenness?
If we want to reproduce healthy kids; then we have to become that person FIRST!
1 Corinthians 11:1 (NIV) Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.
2. Be willing to get your hands dirty
Children don’t operate well on auto-pilot.
Proverbs 22:6 (NKJV) Train [direct] a child in the way he should go, and [even] when he is old he will not turn from it.
Deuteronomy 6:4-7 (NLT) Listen, the Lord is our God, the Lord alone. 5 And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. 6 And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. 7 Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up.
3. Be engaged
"I will never forget the gasp from my TV audience when I asked a six-year-old boy what he'd take to Heaven if he had his choice. He replied, 'My mother and dad, because I think they would have more time for me up there.’" —Art Linkletter
By letting kids know that we care through communication, we will reap the greatest REWARD of having a relationship with our kids — they will open up their hearts to us.
4. Establish boundaries
We can’t forget behind the pushback, inwardly kids desire boundaries, standards, and rules.
As parents we can’t bail on discipline because it makes us feel uncomfortable or causes conflict between us and our child.
Proverbs 29:15 (NLT) To discipline a child produces wisdom, but a mother is disgraced by an undisciplined child.
Proverbs 29:17 (NLT) Discipline your children, and they will give you peace of mind and will make your heart glad.
Proverbs 13:17 (NLT) Those who spare the rod of discipline hate their children. Those who love their children care enough to discipline them.
Hebrews 12:10-11 (NLT) For our earthly fathers disciplined us for a few years, doing the best they knew how. But God’s discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in his holiness. 11 No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—its painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.
5. Give them a place to belong
In the midst of boundaries and discipline, we can’t forget to provide a home where our kids know they are safe and they belong.
6. Invite the village in
Engage where you can, do what you can, and make all the difference you can.
“When a parent is present, emotionally healthy, and involved in his child’s life, the child has a tremendous advantage in the world to navigate its complexities and challenges with joy and confidence.”