Delano Herald Journal

Serving the communities of Delano, Loretto, Montrose, MN, and the surrounding area

Pastor’s Column, 8/6/07



Pastor Steven Basney, Open Arms Community Church, Howard Lake

God gives Christian parents an amazing opportunity to impact their children and even, future generations.

The home is really the child’s first and most important school. It’s where he will learn perhaps up to 95 percent of the things he will take through life, including identity, core beliefs, moral values, emotional maturity, and practical skills.

Children are given to us, on loan from God, for a very brief period of time. During that time, He has delegated to us the responsibility of teaching them His truth and His ways.

Deuteronomy 6:6,7 says, “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and you shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.”

Parents, it is up to us to introduce our children to the heroes of the Bible. It is up to us to teach them moral absolutes. It is up to us to talk to them about qualities such as self-control, respect, purity, honesty, courage, kindness, generosity and compassion. And of course, it is up to us to model these qualities (albeit imperfectly) before them.

Far too many parents believe that they can simply bring their children to church and their kids will become devoted followers of Jesus. But the fact of the matter is that study after study has shown that parents are still the primary influences in the lives of children and teens.

Yes, the role of the church is important, but it can never even come close to the level of influence that we have with our children. If we are not living our own life full-on for the Lord, it is highly unlikely that our children will be devoted to Him either.

Be a high impact, Kingdom-minded parent. Instruct your children in the faith, model it before them, and never cease to pray for them.

For further discussion on the challenge of “high impact parenting,” go to www.openarmshl.org

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