10/07/2023
*PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF GHANA*
*Date: 9th July, 2023*
*Theme: Glorifying God as a parent.*
*Texts: 1 Sam 1:1-10,20-28, Col 3:17-21, Luke 2:42-51*
*Occasion: Parents Day/ Junior Youth Week Launch*
Why are children drawing far away from their parents? What roles are specifically defined for the twenty-first-century parent today as his utmost responsibility to keep the nurturing of children within the confines of the word of God? As soon as the Child Jesus was old enough to join in public worship, His parents took Him with them to the Temple. They proposed to train Him in a particular way but nearly missed the point.Whatever a child ought to do, his parents ought to see that he does it. If he likes it, so much better. If he does not like to do it, so much the more need is there that his parents should make him do it. Prayer and praise and reverence and devotion, and obedience and right being and right doing in all things at home, and worship and attentive hearing in the House of God, are duties which parents ought to see that their children attend to.
Hannah’s experience helped make her into a woman of character and faith and motivated her to give her best to the Lord. She didn’t create problems for the family by disputing with Peninnah. In everything she said and did, Hannah sought to glorify the Lord.Indeed, she was a remarkable woman who gave birth to a remarkable son, who was nurtured in the way of God to become one of the enviable Prophets of his time and even today. Since the name Hannah means “a woman of grace” she did manifest grace in the way she dealt with her barrenness and Peninnah’s attitude and cruel words.In modern society, we pay little attention to names but not in the ancient world, for they held a man’s name to be of utmost importance. Every parent tried to teach his children to honor the family name. In just a few minutes, a person can disgrace a name that it has taken His ancestors years to build. What effort are you putting in place to train your child in a way that will continue to sustain the dignity and reverence of God and even your family?
*A MODEL FAMILY THAT GLORIFIES GOD*
1. Parents are devoted and dedicated to God.
2. They can withstand their challenges and move on without apportioning blames.
3. Exhibit contentment and faith in God in all situations.
4. Show their children the way of God not only with words but with deeds.
5. Are spiritually discerning to be able to identify the giftings and the talents of their kids.
6. They render to them honest and obedience.
7. They have the desire for holy conversation,
Love and respect are very evident.
8. There is a sense of belonging.
9. The parents are selfless, dignified, submissive, respectful, and disciplined.
*WHAT PARENTS ARE REQUIRED TO DO?*
1. Parents should exhibit practical and genuine submissiveness to one another.
2. Makes Christ the center of the family and in their day-to-day activities.
3. Makes love the pivot of their daily engagements.
4. Treat the children with dignity and respect they deserve.
5. Build in the children hope and attitude of can-do spirit.
6. Treat everyone with fairness and respect.
7. Help the children to decipher between right and wrong.
8. Explain the intent behind all the rituals in Christianity and your church tradition to them to better appreciate why we do what we do.Help them appreciate your church so that they can sustain the growth.
*WHAT ARE WE NOT DOING?*
1. Making quality time for the children to build rapport with them.
2. The devotional life of the family lies in limbo.
3. Not preparing them well to be responsible wives and husbands.
4. Not being truthful and fair as expected of us.
5. Not guiding them enough to walk on the path of righteousness because most parents are guilty of immorality.
6.Not being good role models for them.
7..Genuinely not accepting our faults when we go wrong.
8. Not helping the chicken to unearth their God-given talent but force our profession and parochial interest on them.
9. Not helping them to know the realities of life.That ups and downs of life are part of their everyday journey.Today's children are not adequately prepared to face challenges of our time.
ARE YOU WINNING OR FAILING AS A PARENT?
DO YOU MAKE TIME TO EXPLAIN SOME CONCEPTS THAT CHILDREN DO NOT UNDERSTAND TO THEM?
DO YOUR CHILDREN TRUST YOU ENOUGH TO SHARE THEIR CHALLENGES WITH YOU?WHO HAS BEEN THE CONFIDANT OF YOUR CHILDREN?HOW OFTEN DO YOU TEACH YOUR CHILDREN TO UNDERSTAND WHY THEY HAVE TO READ THE BIBLE, PRAY EVERY DAY OR RELIGIOUSLY PAY THEIR TITHES?WHAT SHOULD YOU CHANGE AS A PARENT TO BE ABLE TO DRAW YOUR CHILDREN CLOSER TO YOU TO BE ABLE TO SHARE EVERYTHING WITH YOU?MAY THE LORD HELP YOU TO LEAD YOUR CHILDREN TO THE LORD AS HANNAH, MARY, AND JOSEPH DID!
MAY THE LORD RICHLY BLESS YOU!
*Prayer Topics*
1. For the grace to overcome the challenges of the month
2. For all parents to receive the grace to be responsible
3. For children who have lost hope in this life
4. For children and parents who are engaged in fights and Cold war.
Shalom!
