Parents Need to Be Intentional

 Being intentional. I have to constantly be intentional as a parent. The moment I drop my guard or get distracted or relaxed, the world swoops in to carry off my kids.

At least it tries to.

I feel very strongly about raising my children to be sold out warriors for the Lord. But I have to be intentional about it. I’ve watched mistakes I’ve made and I’ve watched other families and I’ve seen how easily Satan can slip in and steal my children’s hearts. How easily he can water-down the truth. Confuse. Distort.

I have to prioritize my faith and my walk with God for my children are not only watching me, they are following my example.  It’s not enough for me to go to church. It’s not enough for me to have values. I need to apply them.  I need to live them out. My children need to see that God’s Word is important to me. I can’t just say, “Follow this verse.”  My children need to see that I’m reading the Bible for myself and studying what God’s word says. That I’m growing.

My children watch me. Do I prioritize living a life for God? Or do I rationalize away my attitude and actions at times? Do I pray? Not just at dinnertime or on Sundays – but do I pray when I’m hurting, fearful, or rejoicing in a blessing?

Just exactly what does my faith mean to me?

I have to be intentional. I can’t rely on the church or a Christian school to teach my kids. I can’t expect that simply because they attend youth group that they will live a life for the Lord. I can’t expect that once they are out of my house and possibly live somewhere else, that they will choose to attend a church and be involved in one on their own…unless I’ve also put a high priority on being involved in church.

If I simply say, “I believe” but yet don’t put that belief into action – how can I possibly expect my children to? How can I expect them to have the roots and foundation to stand on, if I haven’t been intentional about giving them those very tools while they were in my home – in my care?

Time is limited. The window of opportunity is so short for me to play a big part in molding and shaping my precious children’s lives. I have to be intentional. Every day.

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