URGENT EXHORTATION FOR CHRISTIAN PARENTS
Over the years parents have come to me seeking advice on raising and training their children. Honestly, It may seem like a daunting, almost impossible challenge to effectively raise and train godly children in the evil culture we live in today. Thankfully we have an All-Knowing, All-Wise God who’s given us His great wisdom, principles, commands, and advice for the task. We need only to use it.
Though you may have heard some of these things before, I ask you to please read them with fresh eyes and ears. I write this today with the greatest sense of urgency. Parents, as Christians we must realize how desperate are the times we live in, and how corrupt our culture and systems have actually become. It’s imperative we treat our Christian parenting as our “Sacred Duty” before God, doing all we can to raise them to be deeply rooted in God’s truth, God’s wisdom, God’s commands and principles, God’s perspective and values, with godly character, and an intelligent, informed awareness of the lies of the God-hating leftists. Think of it this way—you want your children to become a “Charlie Kirk” in their zeal and love for Christ, and in their informed convictions on the issues Charlie traveled throughout the country expounding on to young college students, who’ve been lied to by this corrupt society and our corrupt, infected educational institutions. You must shape your children’s lives and their worldview! That’s what you’re aiming for. If you don’t, I guarantee you the culture will diabolically shape your child’s life and worldview into all that God hates!
Know your parenting plan. Remember what God says—“The plans of the diligent surely lead to an advantage. Wise planning will watch over you.” Just as you would never think of building or remodeling your home without a specific, detailed plan of what you want to do, and what you need to buy, you cannot effectively raise and train your children without a wise, specific plan, and an effective strategy that you’re going to consistently follow and implement.
Dad and mom—You must devote yourselves to your God-given, Biblically-defined roles and responsibilities in order to be effective, successful parents. Dads, you must lead and be an engaged, attentive father. Mothers, you must devote yourself to the home with laser-like focus, and to the care and training of your children. Neither of you must allow yourselves to get distracted by the world and its allurements surrounding you. Example—Moms, you do not have the time to be a great wife, homemaker, and mother, attentive to your children, training them, correcting them, and teaching them, while trying to be a social media influencer. Please listen—Facebook, incessant texting interruptions, and the smartphone are destroying many mothers’ ability to be a truly effective parent. They’ve become a massive distraction, shattering the concentration and focus needed to mother and train your children. This is not an old man’s bias—it’s reality. Face it. Deal with it. Keep your head in the game at all times! Remember what God says—“Watch over your little flock with great diligence. Put your whole heart into their care.”
I implore you—do not put your children into the indoctrination center of the Left, of the God-hating Democrats and feminists—the public school. That’s exactly what it’s become today. Avoid them at all costs. Find a way to home educate them with godly schooling materials. Form co-ops with other Christian moms and share the load, using a church building in your area, or use a godly online program. This allows you to pass on godly truth, godly values, great academics, and emphasize godly character training, while immersing the children in a far healthier learning environment, free from the influence of hundreds of other little fools! Remember what God says—“What fellowship does light have with darkness! Do not team up with unbelievers. How can goodness be a partner with wickedness? The companion of fools suffers harm. They associated with those pagans and acquired their habits! Bring them up with Christian teaching in Christian discipline.”
Be sure to work on your children’s attitudes, as well as their behavior and character. A successful life is dependent on a great attitude. Do not let them grumble, complain, and whine their way through childhood. Remember what God says—“Do all things without complaining or grumbling.”
Teach them to tell the truth. Do not let them get away with lying. Lying becomes a habit. It is extremely destructive, and will make it so no one will ever really trust your child. Trust is the essential ingredient for all relationships. LIES ARE THE MOST DESTRUCTIVE THING IN THE WORLD! Remember what God says—“He hates and despises a lying tongue!”
Be certain your “way of life and lifestyle” are the ones you actually want to pass onto your kids. Model the life and lifestyle you want them to embrace and strive for, one that exemplifies true Christianity. Do they see in you sacrifice, perseverance, contentment, lifestyle modesty, and devotion to God, or excess, materialism, wasteful spending, indulgence, and lazy Christianity?
Children must hear you (especially dad), speak up at the dinner table and in conversations about the moral, critical issues of our times. You must be an informed man of convictions. A man who can explain why Islam is so deadly and dangerous. Why illegal immigration is so destructive. Why socialism/communism has been the most deadly, destructive government system in history. Why we should support those who uphold the law, and why righteous policies matter. We must be men who understand we are seriously at risk of losing our God-given, blood-bought freedoms in this country. They need to see and hear your zeal for what’s right! If the criminal, destructive, God-hating Obama and Biden presidencies taught you nothing, you are indeed extremely foolish, utterly complacent, and very lukewarm in your faith.
Remember what God says—“The complacency of fools will destroy them!”
Here are some reliable ways to inform yourself and your children. PragerU has tremendous, short, enlightening videos on the vital issues of our day. They have a great section of videos for kids. They offer extremely sound and righteous information. There are tons of great, informative videos on Charlie Kirk’s website, TPUSA ORIGINALS. You will find wonderful, informative, truth-filled articles to read on frontpagemag.com, I read this daily. Also, feel free to use my archive of messages and Thoughts Provoking articles. I have some parents that have their teen children read my articles every week.
May God give you life sustaining passion, courage, and wisdom for this sacred parenting duty God has given to you.
Helping you become a Strong Disciple,
Because of Jesus,
Pastor Mark Darling
