“Let all that you do be done with love.” – 1 Corinthians 16:14 (NKJV)
‘A happy family is but an earlier heaven.’ – Sir John Bowring.
According to the Oxford dictionary, a parent is the mother or father of a child, one who nurtures and raises a child.
Parents, therefore, are tasked with the responsibility of loving and caring for their families. The Bible teaches us in Proverbs 22 to train up the child in the way they should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it. Thus, children need models rather than critics. So, as parents, we need to be great examples. Psalm 92:13-14 (KJV) says, “Those that be planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bring forth fruit in [their] old age…”. This is the example parents must set.
Looking back at parents in the Bible, we see Job’s comfort lies in a little phrase, “My redeemer lives” (Job 19:25). He was a wealthy and righteous parent who endured immense suffering, losing everything but remaining faithful to God. We saw how Moses’ mother showed courage and protected him from Pharaoh.
Abraham demonstrated unwavering trust in God and led his family in faith. Hannah prayed fervently for a child and committed him to God’s service. Eunice’s mother, Lois, firmly believed in God’s Word. Thus, her generation was raised to fear and honour God.
Joshua also made a decisive choice to serve the Lord and led his family to do the same, thus demonstrating strong leadership. “And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your father served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.“ (Joshua 24:15 – KJV).
Brethren, in Isaiah 46:4, God says He will sustain us even to our old age and gray hairs. So, we do not have to worry about growing old; He will carry us, ensuring we model correctly until the end of our time.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, I thank You for our elderly parents, whom we respect and honour with all our hearts. Lord, I pray that they will walk in the complete trust of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and prosper and be in good health as their souls prosper. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Read: Romans 8:11; 3 John 2
Bible Reading Guide: Psalm 93; 1 Corinthians 5; 1 Chronicles 28; 1 Chronicles 29