The Preacher's Attitude Toward His Children

"...Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward..." (Ps. 127:3).

People assume great responsibility when they bring children into the world. This is no less true of a gospel preacher. What attitudes should he manifest toward his children?

1. The preacher, like every good father, should let his children hear him read God's word and pray to God every day. Children learn to sit quietly as they have lasting impressions made which help mold their lives. Young preacher, be careful how you deal with this privilege. When your children are a year old is not too early to begin.

2. He should expect obedience. With good reason God has required children to be obedient (Eph. 6:1-3). If obedience is not expected, it most likely will not be forthcoming.

3. He should restrain his children when they are disobedient. It was Eli who did not restrain his wicked sons (I Sam. 3:13). For this reason God was not pleased with him.

4. He should let his children see him love God, the church, the elders, deacons, teachers, and saints. If he does not manifest the proper spirit toward his fellow Christian, how will his children learn to love them? These things they will see as they attend each worship service and as they see him conduct himself with others. Their ears should never hear him gossip or backbite. Young preacher, you must control your tongue. Just because you know something, being the preacher does not give you the right to repeat it.

5. He should help them get their Bible lessons. While this is a refresher course for himself, it lets him give them a proper foundation in The Book. Of course, he should not let this be the only instruction they get. During summer break from school, one preacher took his family to the church building one morning a week for Bible study. During these periods, the family did extensive studying about the church: organization, work, worship, the relationship of one church to another, etc.

6. As the children grow, he must use wisdom in helping set his children's relationship to their peers, school, TV, computers, cars, work, and dating, always concerned with protecting their minds from corrupting influences.

7. He must not expect his children to be good because they are the preacher's children or because the brethren expect them to be good. They are to be good, because God wants them so to be.

8. He must not expect them to not make mistakes. They will. Not only will they make mistakes, he will, also.

9. He must not feel that it is no one's business what his children do. Godly parents welcome the spiritual interest of the spiritually minded. Busybodies are a different matter.

10. He must not believe that children have to sow their wild oats. Too many have sown wild oats and prayed for (or, hoped for) a crop failure. It doesn't work that way.

11. He must not think that his children must have the best of everything or everything he did not have. Remember what kind of clothing John the Baptist wore? Did Jesus wear scarlet robes? Only when they mocked him (Mt. 27:28-31).