Key Scripture: Deuteronomy 6:7, Psalm 103:17, Proverbs 13:22 

Deuteronomy 6:7. And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.

Psalm 103:17 But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children's children;

Proverbs 13:22 A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children's children: 

Relevance

I recently attended the funeral of a 92-year-old man. I had briefly met him only once—nothing more than a simple introduction. He was a nice bloke, but he didn't leave any impression on me greater than that of others. But here I was at his funeral, and I am so grateful. 

We arrived early, as the word was that he affected the lives of many people. In no time at all, more than 200 people arrived, requiring additional seating.  As the family honoured him with their well-written, humorous yet revealing eulogy and other memories, it became apparent that this was no ordinary individual.  

There is a calling upon all Christian men to rise up and lead their families. For most of us, that is a journey of trial and error. But when the Lord sees faithfulness, He will fill the gaps He can. Judging by the family stories, this man had fulfilled that part of his duty. Not only were he and his wife strong believers, but their children were also, as well as the grandchildren, who in turn were raising their children to be believers. It is exactly what every Christian parent hopes for. 

Ephesians 6:4 speaks to special men called fathers. And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. By the witness of the grandchildren, this loving grandad did exactly that. Whenever family visited, he would always tell them he was praying for them and ensured he prayed with them before they left. He got involved in their lives, playing board games and joking around, but always promoting the Saviour and encouraging them in life and in Christ. 

Raising children is not the easiest job around. Psalm 127:3-5 succinctly outlines how we are to view the life of our children, and it presents a challenge. 

Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.

This well-known passage addresses certain concepts we must understand.

1. Our children are our spiritual heritage, and potentially the Lord's reward. 

2. They are like arrows in the hand of a mighty man. This suggests that fathers must look inward to become the mighty man, so that those around him might become mighty too. No great bowman does not know his target extremely well, nor shoots randomly. He always shoots with the purpose of hitting the bullseye. He knows what he is aiming for and understands his bow, its string and his arrows, as he crafted them all.

3. Our children are those arrows. They will fly like the wind if aimed and shot well. Arrows don't shoot by themselves, nor can children raise themselves. If we've fashioned the arrows to fly and set them well in the bow, all we need to do is aim and draw the bowstring, then release. From that time, the arrow is no longer ours. It is in flight until its destination. 

4. A good bowman understands risk management factors that can cause his arrows to deviate from their intended course, and takes those factors into account when aiming and directing his shots.

5. Those arrows or children grow up to be loving, useful and appreciated members in the community, and mighty bowmen and women themselves. 

This elderly believer seems to have taken this passage to heart, aimed well and hit his targets with his many arrows. It's rare to find a family of three generations (and possibly four, as his parents may also have been believers) who remain faithful. When we do, they are worth celebrating, as it is equally rare to achieve that consistency. 

Whether we began our bowmanship when our children were young or we're just starting now, it is never too late to become a mighty man or woman. Nor is it too late to guide our children or grandchildren in a better direction with love, gentleness, friendship and the Lord's guidance.

Prayer

Precious Father, raising children to follow your Will begins long before birth, as it is our most important role. Please instruct us all on how best to understand and cultivate them in the ways of Jesus Christ. 

Photo by Paul Alnet