I will not go down without a fight!

 I really think people need to wake up. We are in a fight for our children’s lives. There is an enemy that wants our children. He wants them bad, really bad and unless we as parents are willing to fight the fight of our lives, we are not going to win. Yes, I know our children will have to make choices for themselves, but if we think they can do with us just sitting on the side lines saying “go child” or “you can do it” and not doing anything else, you will have another thing coming. Or if you think you can do it, by just going to church, or sending your child to a Christian school, or homeschooling, you got another thing coming. The fight I am talking about is your childs eternity. The bible says in Proverbs - Chapter 22:6 Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it. This is not a guarantee. Train means to make proficient with specialized instruction and practice. The synonyms is teach, instruction and practice. So many parents are not doing this. They are letting the child teach themselves through internet, friends, music, themselves. Child center parenting. That is not biblical. Deut 6:5-7 "You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up." This verse tells us we shall teach them diligently which means “persevering with painstaking effort”. Painstaking effort. It will not be easy. If it is easy, you are missing the mark. The bible says we need to be teaching them about God when we sit, when we walk, when we lie down and when we rise. That is all the time. Not when it feels good, not when we feel like it, not when we get on a rant or when disciplined it needed. All the time. People, we are missing it. We are lazy and we are loosing the fight. I am not going to loose this fight. I will go down kicking and screaming for them. I will not let my children go to the devil without me doing everything in my power to help them. They will have make their choices, but I want EVERYTHING my husband and I do help them in their walk and their choices. Not hinder or especially not because we were lazy and didn’t fight for them. I am so saddened by these teens walking away from the Lord, by not caring by choosing sin over and over again.

I work at a Christian school in one of the most liberal states in the USA. I see teachers that are worrying only about grades. I am not downplaying that grades and teaching the subject they are assigned is not important, quite contrary. But if you get a child to get an A, but you had a teachable moment to help their walk with Christ and you didn’t do that, you missed the marked. You may have one the fight, but you lost the war. We need to build relationships so we can impact these kids.  It will not be easy, but it will be worth it. 

Our days have to be filled with prayer for our children. They need us to help them, to guide them. To keep them from leading a mediocre life in Christ. I do not want my relationship with the Lord to be my childs. They have to have their own relationship. It can be mine. I can be the example, but it has to be their own. I have to teach them how to develop their own relationship and its not easy. My children have to want it themselves and understand why its so important. It has to be on their heart. I believe disobedient issues come from heart issues. I help the dean of girls with dress code at our school. I can tell girls “your shirts too low”, your skirts to high” or some other issue. But if I don’t deal with the heart of why they wearing those clothes, nothing will change. And its hard to see some kids really just don’t care and don’t desire a relationship with the Lord. I still pray for them. I don’t want my kids like that.

Proverbs - Chapter 6:20- 20. “My son, obey your father's commands, and don't neglect your mother's teaching. Keep their words always in your heart. Tie them around your neck. Wherever you walk, their counsel can lead you. When you sleep, they will protect you. When you wake up in the morning, they will advise you. For these commands and this teaching are a lamp to light the way ahead of you. The correction of discipline is the way of life.”

I want my teens to desire wisdom and understand it can keep them from trouble. I want them to know their bible, not just because I read it, but because they do. My prayer is that my children would be willing to give their life for the one that made them, if it came to that choice. I pray that it doesn’t, but I wouldn’t be surprised if someday it may come to that. I cant ask that of them, if I myself am not willing to do that myself. Nate Sate was, Cassie Bernall was, Martin Burnham was, Could you?