FIVE GIFTS TO GIVE YOUR CHILDREN
1 Time
The amount of time we spend with our children will express to them
how much we love them! And no amount of money can buy one more day.
We must check our priorities. Our children will only be children once.
If your son or daughter is now 10 years old that means they have had
3,650 days of childhood and there are only 2,920 days left before
they will be 18!
2 Laughter
God has a sense of humour. In the Psalms we are especially reminded
of how much God laughs, and he has given us that same gift to enjoy.
Don’t lose the sound of laughter from your home. Build fun-filled
memories for your children. Be fun to be with!
3 Encouragement
We live in a culture that constantly drives us to do more, achieve
more, buy more. This puts tremendous pressure on our children. Even
in many fine Christian homes education itself has become a god. A
child’s self-esteem is very fragile and much damage can be done
by applying too much pressure. Remember the three keys to motivation:
* Use the power of praise – catch your children doing something
right and tell them
* Let them try – believe in your children, but allow them freedom
to make mistakes
* Be enthusiastic – be excited about what excites them. Be interested
in their interests
4 Uniqueness
Our culture is one of comparisons – the media and advertisers
bombard us with statements; "wear this and you’ll be like
me", "drive this and you’ll feel like I do", "eat
this and you’ll look like me".
Yet the truth is God makes us all unique, and he has a unique plan
and purpose for each one of us (Psalm 139:13-16). We are all original
masterpieces! Encourage your child’s self-esteem by constantly
reminding them of these truths.
Secondly, our children are very different from one another! Many shocked
parents have discovered that "my first child was so much easier
than my second!"
Yet we must not drive a wedge between our children by constantly comparing
them. As frustrating and difficult as these differences might be,
we must learn to recognize them and delight in them. Rejoice in uniqueness!
5 Love ... unconditional love
As Christians we know there is nothing we could do that would make
God love us any more, and there is nothing we could do that would
make God love us any less! The perfect example for parental love!
Psalm 127 reminds us that children are a gift from God, entrusted
to us for a season. They are a gift, whatever the circumstances of
conception. Parenthood is the highest of callings and the love we
have for our children should reflect that fact.
This love will bring us many of the greatest pleasures, joys and satisfactions
of life. Yet this love may sometimes be refused, it may be thrown
back at us, it might bring great pain. However, we are called to love
with a love that always says acceptance, even though there might not
be approval. A love that is forgiving. A love that says "I’m
so proud of you", and "I stand right beside you".
A love that lasts a lifetime.
Make a note now of how you might try to bring each gift to your family
this week:
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
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