by Dave Brown
Ye often hear it said ...
“If it was good
enough for Momma, it’s good enough for me.”
but Jesus said (Mt. 10:36) ...
“...a man's
enemies will be the members of his household.”
Clearly Jesus was not anti-family. However, he realized
the great extent to which we are influenced by those who we love the most.
When those who are closest to us lead us to sin, they become our greatest
enemies. For, we can withstand the temptation from those who are not close to
us emotionally. But it is extremely difficult to resist being tempted by those
we love. Thus, Adam had a very difficult time resisting the temptation posed
by Eve. The devil knew how to get to him; we should not be ignorant of his
devices.
In this day and age it seems more parents are drawn away
by their children than the other way around. Youth has the power today, both
in influence and economically. Many parents want to re-live their youth
through their children. In this endeavor they often fail to provide the
discipline that is essential to a healthy family. This discipline must start
with the very earliest love of the infant. When we fail to consistently
demonstrate our disapproval for misbehavior, or fail to praise them when good
(which takes time and patience), we fall into the devil’s hands. The behavior
that we create and reward in our children will either produce the greatest of
blessings (3 Jn. 4) or the greatest of grief (2 Sam. 19:4). Take time now to
teach your children love and respect for God and His word. You will never
regret it.