Pastor Dick Bernal

Effective parenting begins with God.  Who better to turn to than the Creator of family?  His command to be “fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth” tells us the family unit was at the forefront of His design for human life and activity here on earth.  Only parents who have God’s Spirit, nature, character, and behavior can truly “raise up a child in the way they should go.”  Like produces like!

As a father, I need to look no further than the relationship between God the Father and Jesus His Son.  God never used fear to motivate His Son.  God’s loving will was what drove Jesus to accomplish His mission and work on earth.  Jesus loved spending time in prayer with His Father.  We should never use fear to motivate our children.  Threats, unjust discipline, or anger only drive a wedge between children and parents.

Myles Munroe wrote, “No one parents effectively by accident.  Parenting must be intentional.”  Many of us from broken homes, left with one parent, had to learn “how to” by intent.  I had to learn how to be a husband and father with God’s help.  I had to become something I hadn’t seen much of growing up – outside of Grandma and Grandpa – and I am grateful for the few years I had with them.

I know a few Christian adults who left the decision of whether to go to church or not with their teenagers.  They also had no real rules or curfews for them.  Their thinking was that their young people would figure life out on their own.  WRONG!  All of their kids are now backsliders, many addicted to this or that, most already divorced, and struggling financially.

Children can’t raise themselves!  I love the book of Proverbs.  Here (and in most of the Proverbs) you have a Father sharing nuggets of wisdom with a son.  Beautiful!  A very busy King taking time to “train up a child.”

As a parent, and now grandparent, I encourage you all to know the way and show the way.  The most precious gift God gives us is our children and grandchildren (great-grandchildren also!).  They are our future.  We can help the future be brighter by doing right as role models!

Blessings to you on this Father’s Day weekend!