Behold, children are an heritage from the LORD, and the fruit of the womb is a reward. Psalm 127: 3, NKJV.
Gracious God, Please help us to be good parents. Help us to see in each child, a gift from You, and help us to treat them accordingly. In the holy name of Jesus Christ we pray. Amen.
So far we have spoken about what enables women and men to contribute to the happiness of the home. Now let us take a look at the little people in our homes – our children. I purposely called them the little people, because in many homes they are not looked upon as people.
According to our verse for today, we inherit children from the LORD. As “heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ” (Romans 8: 17), children have been handed down to us from the LORD. Is that not a mighty powerful statement? I wonder if we really saw our children as an inheritance, if we would treat them differently.
Do we see our precious little ones as citizens of heaven that have been passed on to us because God decided to equip us with His Holy Spirit and make us worthy of having them? That is such a weighty statement that it makes me stop an reconsider the concept of parenthood! They were not just to be born, live, reproduce, and die! They were created to live in the presence of God and of the angels, forever. God is eternal. Therefore, His heritage is eternal! They have been handed down to us for safe-keeping, until God asks us for them!
Do you now understand what Jesus meant when He said, ” ‘ “Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven” ‘ ” (Matthew 18: 10). Note that this text is not referring primarily to physical children, but in the broader sense, to spiritual children; to all who accept Christ as their LORD and Savior from sin. We are all children in the sight of God. That makes us all responsible to God for one another. We are our brothers’ and sisters’ keeper!
When dealing with children – any child – every child, let us keep in mind that they are royal heritage, of the highest order! They belong to the Sovereign of the universe. That is what makes them so special. An inheritance is given, and the heir can do whatever he or she pleases with it. He or she can invest it, squander it, even give it away. But our heavenly inheritance has been lent to us. They cannot be treated any way we please. We will have to give an account to God for each and every one of them, one of these days.
Because of this:
Let us love, respect, and cherish our children.
Let us not abuse them.
Let us never let them hear us say that they were a mistake.
Let us invest in their future by, “[Training them] up in the way [they] should go, and when [they are] old [they] will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22: 6).