By Jeremy Leisy – Wake Forest, NC
From the very beginning, God has painted a clear picture of His proper design of the family, and the devil is always seeking to destroy that picture. He seeks to corrupt and twist it out of recognition, so that there is no discernible remnant of what the Father made and ordained from the beginning.
In this day and age, those of us who have eyes to see and ears to hear can see the corruption of the design of family that the world would paint for us — men with men, women with women, the fabricated idea of additional genders. The world uplifts and glorifies these dark and twisted concepts by painting an attractive picture of them through television, books, schools, and even the news.
A God-led Family
When God created His people, He gave them the knowledge and instruction they needed to lead fruitful and successful lives, and we are called to do the same for our offspring.
As people who are equipped with Holy Spirit, we can ask that our eyes are opened, and we will see and discern between good and evil around us. We as parents are called by God to paint a picture to our kids, through both words and actions, of what a God-led family looks like.
When God created Adam and Eve, He put them together and called them to be fruitful, multiply, and replenish the earth. When God placed in us a new creation of Holy Spirit, He pulled us out of the darkness and into the light.
“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” 1 Peter 2:9 NIV
Photo courtesy of pixy
For those of us who are parents, God has explicitly placed us in a holy and ordained position of authority: we are given direction to lead our family and show the world around us what a family is truly supposed to be.
“And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.” Deuteronomy 6:6-7 KJV
We have been called into the light, and we are supposed to bring our children there also. It is a devilish idea to let them grow up and decide what is right by themselves.
If we don’t do our job and teach them right from wrong, the world will, and the results will not be biblical! Jesus talks about having child-like believing:
“Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of [the disciples], and said “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 18:3
Children easily believe what their parents teach them: they don’t understand the concept of being deceived until they learn or experience it. When they are young, you have a unique opportunity to plant seeds of truth and wisdom in them that God promises will take hold and grow.
Not all families will look the same, but all parents are called to raise their children. If you are a parent, you have specifically and explicitly been called to instruct them in righteousness. I will venture right now to say that your primary calling and, indeed, your ministry is to raise those children!
Many times in my life, I have found myself praying to Father and asking if I am doing the things He wants me to; asking if I am walking in the path that He has put forth for me, or if I should be doing more for the Kingdom. The closer I draw to Him, the more I know that my primary calling is to lead and raise my family first!
Use Your Words
We are not supposed to be ignorant of the devil’s devices, and we are called to teach our children the same.
When God created the heavens and the earth, He spoke! When he created Adam, he breathed the breath of life! When He gave instructions to Adam and Eve, he did so with a plan and a purpose. We can do the same within our family and for our children.
“Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6 NKJV
When we as parents teach our children God’s Word, we are doing His will. When we teach our kids what is right and true, we are standing against the devil and his corruption. When we teach our children what is good and what is evil, we are preparing them to go into the world to be lights for the Kingdom of God.
Teaching them with clarity what a proper family looks like sets them up to do the same. Let’s take a stand, raise our children, and expect that God’s Word will come to pass for them.
We need to expect that we are setting them up for a successful life, that His words will stick in their hearts, and that they will not depart from it!
Jeremy is a happily married father of four living with his family in North Carolina. Jeremy and his wife Mallory are both ordained ministers who co-host The Vine, a podcast dedicated to all things marriage and raising children in God’s true Word. When he is not spending time with his family or working at his job as a software architect, he enjoys riding motorcycles and reading nerdy sci-fi novels.