Parents have been given a supernatural responsibility by the Lord when a child has been placed in their care. The Bible says, “Children are an inheritance from the Lord. The fruit of the womb is his reward.” Children are gifts from God and He entrusts parents with the commandment of training them up in the ways of the Lord. It is our God given job to raise them to love God with all their heart, soul, and mind.
Any home that is going to withstand storms of life begins with a strong structural base. Many times when you see buildings being erected, the first foundational parts will be strong metal pillars. The Bible says in Proverbs 9:1-2, “Wisdom has built her house, She has hewn out her seven pillars.” What are the seven pillars of wisdom that I am putting into my children? What do I want them to capture while living at home? What habits do I want to develop in them that they will subconsciously pass on to the next generation?
Here are my seven pillars of wisdom that I want my children to learn from their time at home:
1. Love God’s Word and prayer.
Josh 1:8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth;
but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest
observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.
2. Be faithful to the house of God.
Heb 10:25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as
the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much
the more, as ye see the day approaching.
3. Be respectful to all authority.
Eph 6:1-3 Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;) That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.
4. Be grateful and thankful for everything you have.
Phil 2:14 Do all things without murmurings and disputings
5. Discipline the flesh and work hard.
Prov 22:29 Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings…
6. Be humble, teachable and quick to repent.
James 4:10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.
7. Live holy, be a person of integrity, and hunger for God.
Heb 12:14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord
In order for these principles to be caught by my children, I must model them. The Bible says in Deuteronomy 11:19-20,
“And ye shall teach them your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt write them upon the door posts of thine house, and upon thy gates:”
Today think about the seven pillars of your house, write them, and set them before your children so that their spiritual structure can be developed while they are in the nest. Then, when they spread their wings to fly they will be equipped to soar like the eagles.