Helpful Hints

Helpful Hints

The Bible offers what I like to think of as a blueprint for building a strong family. These principles are found in Psalm 127.

This short, five-verse psalm contains tremendous insight into parenting. In fact, Jewish rabbis teach that this psalm contains the pattern for training children to serve God.

Remember, when we see the word "house" in Scripture, we can often substitute the word "family." Let's look closely at the wisdom found in Psalm 127 for building a family that serves God and stands firm against the enemy.

1. Be committed. The psalm begins by telling us that unless we build the house God's way, our effort is in vain. It is possible to work hard to build something and have that work produce nothing. That's what it means to labor in vain. The effort is useless.

2. Rely on the Holy Spirit. Notice that Psalm 127:1 says, "Except the LORD build the house ... " and "except the LORD guards the city ... " This indicates that we must have God's help. God has given us His Word as the blueprint for training our children, but He also have given us a living Helper to guide and counsel us in the process.

3. Partner with your spouse. By God's design the father and mother have separate and distinct roles to help build the family. But the mother and father are to bring their unique strengths together and work as a team to train their children. If you're a single parent, you face unique challenges, but God offers unique help for single parents (see Isaiah 54:4-5).

4. Give your worries to the Lord. I want to encourage you right now to let go of any guilt you may have over parenting blunders. As a parent, you will miss it sometimes, and sorrow may come on you when you do. Wherever you may be as a parent, let go of the sorrow and regret. Give your worry to Jesus (see 1 Peter 5:6-8).

5. Be faithful stewards. Our children are the only things we can take with us to heaven. We'll never see our houses, cars or money again once we leave this earth. But if our children know Christ, we will be with them for eternity. Our children really don't belong to us. They belong to Jesus. Parenting is stewardship.

6. Develop a warrior mindset. We must be military-minded, as if we were training soldiers to go to war. We have to be very deliberate in training our kids. The devil is serious about taking them down. He fires real bullets. When our kids are trained to be arrows for God, they become an offensive weapon that will do damage to the kingdom of darkness (see Psalm 127:4-5).

Maybe you have children who are not serving Jesus. Maybe they were trained in the things of God but walked away from Him. Maybe you were saved later in life and didn't train your children for Christ when they were young. If that's the case, remember this awesome promise God has given us:

"They said, 'Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you and your household will be saved'" (Acts 16:31).

If you will claim this Scripture for your kids, it will release God to work on them—and anyone else in your family. God desires that everyone be saved and come into the knowledge of the truth. Your children are no exception.

Don't give up on them. Prayer changes things.