Command 20 : Beware of False Prophets | Day 138

Guard God's Heritage!

Your sons and daughters do not really "belong" to you. “Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD” (Psalm 127:3). Rather, they have been entrusted to you for a time so that you can train them to be “mighty upon earth” (Psalm 112:2).

God instructs fathers to raise their children “in the nurture and admonition of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4). An important factor in accomplishing this goal is getting to know each child as a unique individual so that you can respond to his or her needs and effectively motivate him or her in God's ways. This is what the Apostle Paul did with those he taught and discipled.

"... Remember how we dealt with each one of you personally, like a father with his own children ..." (I Thessalonians 2:11-12—J. B. Phillips Translation).

A father will have great difficulty guarding his sons and daughters from false teachers if he does not know what is going on in their hearts. He must seek to understand them and demonstrate his unconditional love and acceptance of them. Fathers who cultivate open, honest communication with their sons and daughters are more likely to be trusted with "sensitive" information that parents need to be aware of in their children's lives. This includes lies they are believing, their fears, secret sins, wrong friendships, temptations they are facing, and hurts and offenses they are harboring.

An effective way to begin getting to know the heart of your child is to plan an outing with him or her and ask a variety of questions. Allow him or her to answer the questions without receiving any negative reaction or disapproval from you. Any information he or she shares with you should be regarded as a gift, so avoid correction, and instead express gratefulness.

Sons and daughters give their hearts to those who listen to them with patience, acceptance, and understanding.

Years ago, Jim Sammons conducted personal "bonding sessions" with his son and daughters by preparing a notebook for each child. The notebook contained the child's picture, the meaning of his or her name, and other personal information. Following this was a list of questions designed to explore the needs and interests he or she had.

As they discussed the questions, Jim would write the child's answers in the notebook. Later, he and his wife Fay would think of ways to help their children with the needs or interests that had been expressed. For example, if one had a fear of abandonment, they would write cards with Bible verses such as “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee" (Hebrews 13:5). Now, Jim and Fay's grown children look back on these bonding sessions as important events that helped them keep their hearts focused on the Lord.

How well do you know the heart of each of your children? Today would be an excellent day to take steps towards knowing them better so that you can effectively protect God's heritage that has been entrusted to you.