The World's Smallest Battlefield

GCT: "The world’s smallest battlefield is your child’s heart.  And the conquering of it calls for all-out, hand-to-hand combat.”  I am sure you see this on the daily.  You can see each and every day your child’s heart is a battlefield where sin and righteousness are in conflict.  This week we are going to be in Ephesians 6:1-4, again while focusing on 6:4 specifically, "Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.”  Parents, the goal of your God-given responsibility is to bring up your children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.  You are to do everything within your power, as a follower of Jesus Christ who has called you to this, to persuade, encourage, and train your children to willingly and joyfully live as disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ.  

The goal of parenting is not for you to make great students with a promising future career, a professional Kiwanis athlete, the social butterfly with the most friends or even the most polite and acceptable kid in the community.  The goal of parenting is seeing your child saved from sin and its eternal wages and then to daily follow the path of sanctification as a disciple of Christ.  How do you do that?  Ephesians 6:1-4 and Deuteronomy 6:4-9 give a pretty good view of how to proceed on this path of parenting.
 
But remember two things:
1) You have been called to a task as a parent that is way beyond your abilities, wisdom, strength and gifts so cling to the GOOD NEWS that God does not ever mean for you to do it all alone. Jesus promises His presence and power as you make disciples as parents, "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age. (Mathew 28:19-20)”
2) You have been called every day to faithfully participate in something that it is impossible for you to produce.  Your success as parents is not dependent upon you but upon Christ.  The results of your parenting is in the infinitely powerful hands of our Lord.  So be found faithful, parenting success is about faithfulness not results.  Which leaves us with one action - PRAY for your children.  John 6:44 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.

Be found faithful, Steve