There are seven things good parents will prioritize teaching their children. These seven truths come from The Lord's Prayer in Matthew 6 and are the spiritual foundation for successful children.
2. God’s name deserves honor.
Matthew 6:9b, “...Hallowed be Your name.” NKJV
If you don’t teach your kids to honor God, their highest authority, they won’t ever learn to honor any other authority either. Kids today have a problem with authority, right? We all know this. Well, it’s no surprise that kids don’t honor their parental authority or their governmental authority. Why would they if they’ve never been taught to honor their spiritual authority? Kids learn to honor their parents and honor their teachers and honor police officers and other authorities by first learning to honor God.
Well how do you teach your kids to honor God? You teach them that God’s name is to be praised and never ever to be used as a curse word. Exodus 20:7 says it like this “You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.” NIV If you got disrespectful in a courtroom with the judge he would hold in contempt of court. How much more so does the Judge of all the earth hold us in contempt when we get disrespectful by misusing his name! You need to teach your kids that God doesn’t take his name being used in vain lightly. On the same top ten list where it says murder is wrong, it says misusing God’s name is wrong. To understand how serious God takes the misuse of his name we only need to look to Leviticus 24 where we learn that doing so was a capitol offense, punishable by death! In this chapter a fight breaks out and one of the two blasphemes God’s name by combining it with a curse word. When the people heard it they put him in custody until the will of the Lord should be made clear to them. Then the Lord said to Moses: “Take the blasphemer outside the camp. All those who heard him are to lay their hands on his head, and the entire assembly is to stone him. Say to the Israelites: ‘Anyone who curses their God will be held responsible; anyone who blasphemes the name of the Lord is to be put to death. The entire assembly must stone them.’ You see, God takes the misuse of his name seriously!
This is why it’s so important to model for your children honoring God’s name. How can you do that?
2. God’s name deserves honor.
Matthew 6:9b, “...Hallowed be Your name.” NKJV
If you don’t teach your kids to honor God, their highest authority, they won’t ever learn to honor any other authority either. Kids today have a problem with authority, right? We all know this. Well, it’s no surprise that kids don’t honor their parental authority or their governmental authority. Why would they if they’ve never been taught to honor their spiritual authority? Kids learn to honor their parents and honor their teachers and honor police officers and other authorities by first learning to honor God.
Well how do you teach your kids to honor God? You teach them that God’s name is to be praised and never ever to be used as a curse word. Exodus 20:7 says it like this “You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.” NIV If you got disrespectful in a courtroom with the judge he would hold in contempt of court. How much more so does the Judge of all the earth hold us in contempt when we get disrespectful by misusing his name! You need to teach your kids that God doesn’t take his name being used in vain lightly. On the same top ten list where it says murder is wrong, it says misusing God’s name is wrong. To understand how serious God takes the misuse of his name we only need to look to Leviticus 24 where we learn that doing so was a capitol offense, punishable by death! In this chapter a fight breaks out and one of the two blasphemes God’s name by combining it with a curse word. When the people heard it they put him in custody until the will of the Lord should be made clear to them. Then the Lord said to Moses: “Take the blasphemer outside the camp. All those who heard him are to lay their hands on his head, and the entire assembly is to stone him. Say to the Israelites: ‘Anyone who curses their God will be held responsible; anyone who blasphemes the name of the Lord is to be put to death. The entire assembly must stone them.’ You see, God takes the misuse of his name seriously!
This is why it’s so important to model for your children honoring God’s name. How can you do that?
- Never misuse the Lord’s name yourself. If your kids hear you say it, they will likely imitate your disrespectful ways.
- Refuse to watch any TV show or movie that consistently abuses God’s name. Think about it. If you’re watching a movie and God’s name is being abused and you keep watching and you’re laughing, what kind of message are you sending to your kids? On the other hand, if you’re watching something that abuses God’s name and you immediately change the channel your kids will get the message that God’s name is to be honored.
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