HELPING CHILDREN TAKE THEIR RIGHTFUL PLACE IN DESTINY

As parents, we desire our children to be better than us in character, conduct, secularly and spiritually. We desire the best for them. That is our thought towards them. But we have to put some things in place in order not to have a repeat of our failures in them. The Bible in Luke 14:28 is a clear indication that if we do not consciously plan and channel our prayers and actions towards this, our desires become a mirage (mere thought) a figment of our imagination.

Prophet Eli, I’m sure did not want his children worse off than him in conduct and service to God but because he consciously did not do the needful, his children not only brought him shame but took the honour of being priests in the house of God off his lineage. As if this was not enough, Samuel, his protégé, as honourable as he was before God and the people of Israel, also failed in his duty as a parent. Nothing whatsoever is said about the other parents: their wives. The account we have of these two priests was on their ministry and not their family life.

Why? We may ask. Is it that they don’t know what to do? My candid response is NO! They know what to do but lacked the character, strength and training to do so. Though the Bible has no account of the parents of Prophet Eli, we know Prophet Samuel was a product of a woman’s prayer which met the need of God for the period, a prophet to take over from Eli. The foundation of Samuel was not enough. Why? He didn’t live long with his mother. She had handed him over to Eli after weaning him as offering to God as she had promised. What training had Samuel from a man who failed to firmly look after God’s precious gifts (children) to us?

Eli had what is needful but failed to use the needful, conscious directing and redirecting of children towards God as God proudly claimed He could see in our father, Abraham in Genesis 18:19. As Christians it is good to pray. In fact we are to pray without ceasing (1 Thes. 5:17). This means we must always engage in prayer but then it is the same God that asks us to back up our faith which we express in our prayer to Him with action in James 2: 14-24. After praying we must consciously put in place those mechanism that will make our faith (prayer) manifest in reality (actions).

I was at a convention where the preacher talked about the Obadares, the Idahosas and the Adeboyes of the next generation. As he spoke, a cogent issue was raised: As parents, as a church (I mean the whole body of Christ) are we directing our children to God or mainly academic excellence? Have we taught and are we teaching them the importance of sacrifice in their journey as pilgrims on earth? As parents, what sacrifice, what self denial, and what examples are we laying down for our children to follow? What training is the church offering our children and our youths? As parents, what training are we giving our children?

Where are we heading them to? God knew Abraham would lead his children to Him but at no point did the Bible record such of Eli and Samuel. Eli and Samuel had no clear cut destination for their children. Eli probably thought because they were from the priesthood family of Levi, they had the divine ticket to be priests automatically until God gave His verdict on his children.

As Samuel was receiving tutelage under him, I’m sure it dawned on him that God had raised another priest from another lineage yet, he lacked the moral courage to make God stance his stance before his children though he spoke in 1 Samuel 2:22-26, he was weak and not firm. He was old and lacked the vigour to pursue it through. Samuel on the other hand, had no foundation and did not seek help to tackle his primary assignment – his family. He was too busy serving others while his family was left behind.

What are you doing to raise godly seeds unto your maker so that the Mary Slessors, the Obadares and the Idahosas of the next generations of leaders in the church, in the societies and in our families can be fully equipped and ready to take their rightful place in destiny? This assignment is great. We need help to do it. Our help will only come from the creator of these children as He is their Potter. We must season our prayers with positive and correct actions to consciously impact into our children heavenly and godly virtues of integrity, service to humanity, honesty, humility, love, patience, long suffering, and temperance as listed in Galatians 5: 22.

Let our children get the right value and the right attitude towards God, the society and work. Most of them don’t have the right attitude to work. It’s time to balance up by individually employing check and balance system in our conduct so that we can truly raise godly seeds like Moses, Paul, Obadare and the likes in the next generation. We must prepare tp work and work hard. Christianity is hard work. Christian parenting is hardwork and rewarding if adhere to the God given way.

As we are watering other people’s plants, let’s remember to water ours too. We must monitor, mentor and motivate our offspring by rightly equipping ourselves with what it takes to succeed in this business of parenting and in preparing our children to take their rightful place in destiny.

Mrs Biodun Olufemi, a Teacher by profession, lives in Oshogbo, Nigeria and writes for Praying Parents Prayer Group Christian Ministry (3pG).