God's Parenting Blueprint

As parents we are always looking for direction.  We want to understand the 'new' parenting methods.  I remember when my daughter was born, my step mother asked what the 'new' parenting book was, in her time it was Dr. Oz.  As believers, there is one parenting book and source that is the ultimate guidebook and resource and that is the bible.  Don't we want our children's foundation and life direction to come from the Lord?  In Hebrews 11:10 it says, "For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God."  Are we training our children to look for foundations that are built by the Lord and based on his principles and commands?

Another bible parent that truly struck me was David.  In 2 Samuel David is King of Israel and is a strong and Godly king.  He made some mistakes in his life, but all in all his heart was to serve the Lord.  One of the things David wants to do is build the temple for his God in the land that was promised to his people which they were finally inhabiting.  It is his heart's desire, the one thing that he continues to fight for and drive toward.  Then in 2 Samuel 7:5-16 God speaks to David through the prophet Nathan.  He basically tells him three things:

1. You don't need to build a house for me, I am not in need of one. (verse 5)

2. I have made you ruler and will make a house (and safety) for Israel (verses 8-10)

3. I will build my own house through my own son, who will be David's offspring, who is Solomon.  2 Samuel 7:13 says, "He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever."

David responds with one of the most beautiful prayers I have encountered.  He does not say, bummer Lord, I really wanted that, I was hoping to be the one, I thought that I would be able to be the one to build your house.  Instead he thanks God for his sovereignty and acknowledges God's greatness!
"How great you are, O Sovereign Lord!  There is no one like you, and there is no God but you, as we have heard with our own ears".  So David sets out to prepare his son Solomon to be the builder of the temple.

There are so many parenting lessons in this story.  But the most poignant for me is the illustration that we need to equip our children to be their own temple for the Lord.  When Jesus died on the cross, we became the inhabited temple of our God.  He dwells in us.  If we are going to follow David's lead we need to be preparing our children to be temples for the Lord.  It gives me chills to think about that and also scares me to death.  How can we possibly do this?  Where is the direction and guide, where is the step by step process to parenting that will enable our children to walk with God inhabited in their hearts?

God has provided the blueprint.  If we seek a blueprint for parenting it is there for the taking.  The bible is the ultimate parenting blueprint.  As David provided a blueprint for the building of the structural temple, God has provided a blueprint for building the structural temple in our children's hearts.  God has made known to us through his word his direction for our lives and our children's lives.
"I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business.  Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you."  John 15:15

Seek his word as your primary parenting book.  I challenge you to dissect it, learn it, create opportunities for your children to learn it and live it.  Is it going to be easy?  No!  But imagine the wake of generations behind you.  What if we all operated in the fruits of the spirit?  What if as a group, we Christians truly did put on the armor of God and we equipped our children to do the same?  What if we applied 2 Peter 1:5-7 to all situations in our lives and equipped our children to see through that same lens?

Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence[Or virtue ],  and in your moral excellence, knowledge,
and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness,
 and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love.
For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 1:5-7

I plan to embark on a journey to somewhere, a place where my children learn and are engaged in the creation of their hearts as God's temple.  I will do this with God's love and Christ's perseverance ("May the Lord direct your hearts into God's love and Christ's perseverance."  2 Thessalonians 3:5) and I will start with the fruits of the spirit.

By His Grace