Category Archives: Child Rearing

Advice, Bible, Child Raising, Child Rearing, Commands, Direction, Disciplemaking, Encouragement, God's Will, Mentoring, Modeling, Obedience, Parenting, Scripture

THE RIGHT PRESCRIPTION

1 TIMOTHY 4:11

“Prescribe and teach these things.”

Have you ever gone to the pharmacy to get your prescription only to get home and realize it’s the wrong medication? Most pharmacies have a policy that once you leave the store you can’t return the prescription. That can be very frustrating and dangerous, if you don’t know what you are taking.

The word “prescribe” is actually a military term which implies that an order has gone through all the proper channels and has the authority of the one who issued it. Paul is reminding Timothy that he has the authority because he is delivering God’s commands, not his own. In the same way the pharmacist is carrying out the orders of the doctors to deliver us the right medication. He can’t prescribe medication for patients. He just delivers the correct orders.

APPLICATION

You, as Mom and Dad, are commanded by God to carry out His orders in regard to raising your children. You are to also “prescribe and teach these things.” You have the responsibility to use God’s Word to prepare your children to walk with Jesus. The Lord has given you all you need in His Word. But you must be the one to deliver the command.

Now, children will buck you. None of us like following orders. But we are commanded to deliver. The words “prescribe” and “teach” are both imperatives, which mean you are commanded to do this. You have a choice – obey or be disobedient. What will you do?

If you are like me, you want to do things your way. I don’t mind following orders, as long as I agree with them. But the second I have to do something that I disagree with, I bow up. That’s flesh! That’s sin! I have to obey whether I like it or not. And by doing that, I am an example to others.

Lord, You know my heart. I truly do want to please You. Help me be submissive to those in authority over me, not to please them, but to please You.

Standard
Affection, Bible, Child Raising, Child Rearing, Encouragement, God's Will, Love, Parenting

YOU ARE SPECIAL

1 TIMOTHY 4:10

“For it is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers.

I love the way the last phrase of this verse is translated from the Greek – “especially of believers.” Do you understand what that is saying? God is the Savior of all mankind, but He sees us as special because we have responded to His invitation. Once we decide to follow Jesus, we move into a special class of people on this earth. We become part of His family, and He particularly cares for us.

Is there someone special in your life? Is there someone you “especially” like to spend time with? Why? Because you are close to them? Because they like to spend time with you? What makes them special? We all have those special people whom just draw us in. That’s how we are to God. We are especially special!

APPLICATION

I am willing to bet that your little Elrod or Gertrude have a special toy. They especially care for it. They play with it for hours. They drag it everyone they go. The next time you see them with this special toy, read them this verse and explain how special we are in God’s eyes once we accept Jesus as Savior.

Now, God loves all mankind. Your children need to know that. He sent His Son to die for ALL. But once someone yields their heart to Jesus, God sees us differently. If your child is a believer let them know just how special they are to God. To Him, they are especially special. They are to Him like that toy is to them. He wants to be with us all the time.

Do you realize how special you are to God? He desires to be with you. He desires for you to want to be with Him all the time. Do you? Do you desire that level of intimacy with the Father? He is especially fond of you. Why don’t you return the feeling?

O God, I am especially fond of You. I desire to be in Your presence all the time. Help me to make You my number one priority in all things.

Standard
Advice, Bible, Blameless, Child Raising, Child Rearing, Commands, Confession, Deception, Disciplemaking, Encouragement, God's Will, Holy Spirit, Lies, Mentoring, Modeling, Obedience, Parenting, Sanctification, Truth

ARE YOU TRUSTWORTHY?

1 TIMOTHY 4:9

“It is a trustworthy statement deserving full acceptance.”

This phrase is used twice by Paul in writing to Timothy in this letter. He doesn’t use the phrase anywhere else. I wonder why. Why is Paul saying what he is saying is trustworthy? Did someone accuse him of lying? Was Timothy hearing other reports from Paul’s enemies? We don’t know, but we do know the Holy Spirit told him to put these words down.

So, how do they apply to us? Let me ask you a question. Can you say this about all your statements? Are all your words worthy? The word “deserving” can also be translated as “worthy of.” The word means to be weighed in God’s scale of truth. That’s a higher level of trustworthiness, isn’t it?

APPLICATION

This is a simple truth to teach your children. We need to model this first, though. Can our children trust our words? Do we say what we mean and mean what we say? Can they rely on us to follow through with what we say? They learn this truth by watching and listening to us. Are we trustworthy in our words to our children?

Too many parents lie to their kids. Yes, I said lie. They tell them something, knowing it will never happen. They make promises they know they cannot keep. If you are one of those parents, stop! Make sure your yes means yes and your no means no. Stop confusing your children with wishy washy parenting. Remember, you are not raising children. You are raising child raisers. What you model and teach will be repeated.

Are you trustworthy in your statements? Can people trust what you say? One of the worst reputations you can have is to be known as a liar. I have known people whom you could say if their lips were moving, they were lying. Not good! Don’t be that person. If you are a believer in Christ, you have THE truth in you.

Forgive me Lord, when I tell untruths. Convict me of this sin. Let me never be guilty of leading others astray by my statements. I want my words to line up with Your Word.

Standard
Advice, Bible, Busyness, Child Raising, Child Rearing, Commands, Encouragement, Eternity, Family, God's Will, Heaven, Holy Spirit, Inspirational, Mentoring, Obedience, Parenting, Passion, Prayer, Scripture

IS BODILY EXERCISE WORTH IT?

1 TIMOTHY 4:8

“for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.”

It seems 1 Timothy is full of one-time used words. We have another one today. The Greek word for “discipline” is gumnasia. Does that look familiar? We get the word “gymnasium” from that. This verse is my proof that we only have so many good heart beats, and we shouldn’t waste them exercising, lol. 

Paul is NOT saying we shouldn’t exercise. But too many people spend hours and hours at the gym and neglect their spiritual bodies. Having a buff and trim physical body will NOT make you more godly. Only exercising your spirit will do that. And that is done through spiritual pushups in the Word, prayer and worship. 

APPLICATION

I bet your little Johnny or Susie does some kind of physical exercise. The next time you are with them when they are doing that, bring up this verse. Perhaps you are riding bikes. Compare the exercise their legs are getting with their spiritual walk with Christ. Maybe they are playing soccer. Compare that to controlling their feet as they maneuver to score a goal for God through righteous living.

You can find hundreds of ways to compare physical exercise and sports to the Christian life. There are literally thousands of books out there. The point is to make sure your children know that exercising their spiritual body is more important than exercising their physical body. This physical body will not see heaven, only the spiritual one will.

Are you obsessed with your physique? Are you so enamored with Cross Fit, yoga or P90x that you spend all your spare time in that? Try this for a week. Spend the same amount of time studying God’s Word as you do exercising. I promise you that you feel the difference spiritually.

Lord, I am guilty of not exercising enough physically. I know this body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. But Father, I want to exercise my spiritual body just as much. Help me keep in shape spiritually.

Standard
Advice, Bible, Child Raising, Child Rearing, Deception, Direction, Disciplemaking, Encouragement, Faith, Family, Lies, Mentoring, Parenting, Questions, Satan, Scripture, Trust, Truth

OLD WIVES’ TALES

1 TIMOTHY 4:7

“But have nothing to do with worldly fables fit only for old women. On the other hand, discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness;”

You may have heard the phrase “old wives’ tales.” It refers to things that are passed down from one generation to another as being truth when it actually is just superstitions or false information. I used to teach First Aid and CPR in an area of Tennessee to teen moms where I heard a lot of these. One such old wives’ tale was to bind up your baby real tight and drop a pair of scissors behind their back if they have colic. That will cut the pain. Don’t try that at home, lol. 

Paul is warning Timothy about these fables and superstitions. He should stick to the truth of God’s Word. Only that will lead to discipline and godliness. Any other source of information is subject to verification. God’s Word is always reliable. It can be trusted throughout the generations.

APPLICATION

Your children will hear lots of silly fables (old wives’ tales) in their lives. Some may even have a smidgeon of truth in them. Those are really confusing to young minds. The easy way to verify if they are true is to measure them against God’s Word. If they agree, trust it. If they don’t, don’t trust it.

Learning to discern fact from fiction is a skill they will need as they navigate life. Satan is around every corner just waiting to try to confuse us or deceive us. When our children learn to recognize those untruths, they will be safer in their journey following Christ.

Are you one who believes all those old wives’ tales? Do you put more stock into what Grandma said than what God says? Give up all those generational truths and turn to the only source of truth. He will teach you whatever it is you need to know. And you can be guaranteed that it is always true.

Lord, help me discern fact from fiction. When I am unsure let me turn to You. I know You are truth and can set me straight.

Standard
Bible, Child Raising, Child Rearing, Christianity, Completeness, Disciplemaking, Encouragement, Faith, Family, God's Will, Holy Spirit, Inspirational, Lies, Mentoring, Ministry, Obedience, Parenting, Prayer, Scripture, Wisdom

WE ALL NEED NOURISHMENT

1 TIMOTHY 4:6


“In pointing out these things to the brethren, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, constantly nourished on the words of the faith and of the sound doctrine which you have been following.”

We have ANOTHER one-time used word today. The Greek word for “nourishment” is only used right here.  It means to be “in the state (condition) of being nourished, to be trained by continuous instruction in the area of skill and practical knowledge. This happens by receiving God’s gift of faith which has lasting effects.”

That’s a long definition, I know, but I wanted you to see what this word really means, especially the “lasting effects” part. Proper nourishment, whether it’s physical food or spiritual food, should have lasting effects. It should sustain us. It should strengthen us. It should help us grow in our faith. Look at what  does it. Paul says “the words of faith” and “sound doctrine” are our nourishment.

APPLICATION

The next time you sit down at the family table for a meal, read your little Gertrude or Elrod this verse. Explain that just as important as good nutritious food is to their bodies, our spiritual life needs nourishment. Ask them what they think would happen to their bodies if all they ate was candy and colas. I am pretty sure they will have some great answers.

Then ask them what will happen to their walk with Christ if we put false teachings and other beliefs in our minds and hearts. And what will happen if we don’t feed our spirits at all? It will starve to death just as our bodies will without food. They really need to understand that is why you spend time with them in the Word and in prayer. You are feeding them spiritually.

How healthy is your spirit today? When is the last time you had a nice, nutritious spiritual meal? When is the last time you ate spiritually? Is your spirit starving? Turn to God’s Word. In it you will find all the sound doctrine and truths you need for healthy living.

O God, You feed me but only when I come to the table. You won’t force feed me, I know. I want to grow healthier in my daily walk with Christ.

Standard
Bible, Busyness, Child Raising, Child Rearing, Commands, Direction, Disciplemaking, Encouragement, Faith, God's Will, Love, Obedience, Parenting, Prayer, Surrender

BULLS-EYE

1 TIMOTHY 4:5

“for it is sanctified by means of the word of God and prayer.”

I bought a new crossbow last year. I can no longer pull back and hold a bow due to a bad left shoulder. Now, the crossbow I bought came with a scope, but it still had to be sighted in. So, I took it out to a place where I could set a target and shoot lots of bolts (that’s what you call a crossbow arrow) until I had it zeroed in at 40 yards. It took a while, but I finally shot six bolts in a row at six different bulls-eyes on the target hitting all six dead center.

I was thinking about that when I looked at the Greek word for “prayer” in this verse. This particular word is only used twice in the New Testament, both times in 1 Timothy (the other being in 2:1). It literally means to hit the bulls-eye. I feel I have shot a lot of prayers up to God without ever coming close to the bulls-eye. In fact, there have been times when I have completely missed the target.

APPLICATION

Teaching our children to pray is quite a privilege. But watching them take off on their own prayer life is a whole different matter. When they learn to “hit the bulls-eye” in their prayer life, they will discover a deeper intimacy with God. When they are specific and focused in their prayer life, God will speak in ways that will reveal deeper and more meaningful insights into His very character.

I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating. You can pray for your children, but you can’t pray their prayers for them. They must do that themselves. Their prayer life is THEIR prayer life, not yours. And when they learn the power they have in Christ nothing can stop them.

Are you hitting the bulls-eye? Or are you shooting blindly, just hoping to hit something. Specific, detailed, bulls-eye centered prayer is the key to successful Christian living. Only by communicating directly with the Creator of it all can you discover who you are in Christ.

Lord, help me to talk to You intimately. I want to not only see the target, but I want to hit the bulls-eye each and every time I pray.

Standard
Bible, Child Raising, Child Rearing, Commands, Confession, Creation, Demons, Encouragement, Forgiveness, God's Will, Love, Mentoring, Modeling, Obedience, Parenting, Scripture, Thanksgiving

IT’S ALL GOOD

1 TIMOTHY 4:4

“For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with gratitude;”

No, I am not talking about spinach!  LOL. I am sure God didn’t make spinach. And I am also pretty sure He didn’t make red wasp. They had to come straight out of the pit of hell. Just kidding. God created all creatures and plants. I know that. But isn’t it funny how we love some things and hate others? I have never liked spinach and am not too fond of wasps (which, by the way, I was stung by yesterday).

Paul is simply saying, in response to the liars he just got through talking about, that we have no right to say what is and what is not good. That’s God’s business. He is the Master Creator and will let us know what is good for us. It’s not for man to say. After all, one day you hear that eggs are bad for you and the next day they are good for you. Eggs are eggs, yolks, I mean, folks.

APPLICATION

This may come in handy when you are trying to get little Johnny to eat his vegetables. The next time he declares that green beans are demonic, let him know that God made those green beans for him. The next time he refuses what God has declared good, read him this verse. It’s all about gratitude.

When I travel to Uganda and Kenya, I have the “privilege” to eat some foods that I normally do not and probably would not eat. But I am thankful for whatever is set before me. That’s the principle Paul is teaching here. We need to show thanks to God for everything He has placed in our lives, whether it’s spinach or ice cream.

Are you grateful? I know some people who are not grateful for anything. They would complain about their meal if they had a personal chef and ordered each meal at a time. You see, our gratitude is a heart issue. If our heart is not right with the Lord, nothing will make us thankful. Thankfulness comes from within when we realize just how blessed we are in Christ.

I thank You, Lord, for all You have provided. I ask Your forgiveness for not being thankful at times. I confess that as sin against You and Your gracious provision.

Standard
Advice, Bible, Child Raising, Child Rearing, Commands, Confession, Deception, Disciplemaking, Encouragement, Forgiveness, Friends, Lies, Mentoring, Obedience, Parenting, Sanctification, Trust, Truth

THE WRONG ORDERS

1 TIMOTHY 4:3

“men who forbid marriage and advocate abstaining from foods which God has created to be gratefully shared in by those who believe and know the truth.”

Have you ever been told to do something that you just knew wasn’t right? Maybe you had a boss who wasn’t very honest, and he asked you to fudge the numbers on your report. Perhaps your older brother or sister made you promise to not tell Dad and Mom about the lamp they broke. Those are tough predicaments. What should you do?

Well, Paul called these people who are giving these wrong commands, these wrong orders, liars (look back in the previous verse). If they are liars, should we do anything they say? Of course, not.  Liars can’t be trusted. You can’t believe anything they say. And here they were telling people to not marry and to not eat certain foods, both of which God had blessed. 

APPLICATION

Children get this. They can usually spot a lie. Just try it. I’m serious. Deliberately tell them a bodacious lie. See if they want call you on it. We have to teach our children to recognize lies, but we do that by teaching them the truth. When they know the truth (God’s Word), they can easily see the lies.

They will be faced with similar situations that I mentioned in the first paragraph today. They may have a boss one day who asks them to lie. You have to teach them now to do the right thing. They may be exposed to false teaching once they leave home where you are not there to protect them. Teach them God’s principles and they will spot it right off.

But let me turn the tables. Are you the one spreading falsehoods? We do that, normally, to protect ourselves or make ourselves look better. If you are guilty of doing that, repent. Confess that as sin and ask the Lord to forgive you. Truth is the only way to go. All other avenues lead to destruction.

Lord God, You are Truth! I want to embody Your Truth. Help me today to only speak what is true.

Standard
Advice, Bible, Child Raising, Child Rearing, Christianity, Comfort, Confession, Deception, Disciplemaking, Encouragement, Forgiveness, Holy Spirit, Inspirational, Lies, Obedience, Parenting, Sanctification, Scripture

SEARED

1 TIMOTHY 4:2

“by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron,”

I had to ask myself why the Holy Spirit instructed Paul to use this image. The phrase “seared…as with a branding iron” is one Greek word. It is used once right here in this verse and has the meaning of cauterizing or branding with a branding iron. You have probably seen pictures of cattle being branded. 

Well, besides leaving a permanent scar on the skin, what does branding do? It makes that spot totally unsensitive. The nerve endings are dead. They have been seared. In other words, Paul is using this word to show what false teaching will do to your soul. It will make you unsensitive to the reality of sin. You will begin to feel no remorse or guilt. 

APPLICATION

Have you or your child ever burned your finger on something hot? You move quickly to stop the burn with cold water or ice, don’t you? What a great way to talk about this verse with your child. Explain how the first time that spot is burned there is a lot pain and discomfort and you want to fix it. But if you keep burning the same spot, it will stop hurting. In fact, you won’t even know you’ve burned it again.

That’s how sin works. That’s how false teaching works. The more we let it touch us, the less bothered we are by it. Before we know it, sin just doesn’t bother us. We see it all around us today. What used to be called sin is called a person’s choice. What used to be unacceptable in society is now embraced as normal. We have been seared by a hot iron.

How about your life? Have you become numb to the discomfort of sin? Does it not bother you anymore? Ask the Lord to reveal your sins to you in a powerful way. Ask Him to let you see your sins as He sees them. Then you will see the horror in them. Then you will feel the “pain” of sin. Only then can you understand how far you have slipped. Return to Him and ask for healing.

I don’t want to not feel the pain of sin. I want to know the depth of Your forgiveness in my life which is only possible as I recognize the depravity of my sin. I thank You for healing me of my sin wounds.

Standard