Christian blog posts

Parents have a great role and position in shaping the future behavior of their children. They give direction, instill discipline, monitor family behavior and make decision based on what they know is right for their children and home. The bible says “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old, he will not depart from it. [ Prvb 22:6].
When Israel was wavering in their relationship with God, Joshua, as a father to his children, made a decision for his family. He said “if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” Joshua didn’t need to consult with his children, as it’s the mode today, because he knew core values his family must hold dear.
The role of a parent in a home is more influential than government, society norms or any foreign ideas. In-fact, one parent’s ideas can affect the entire society for the good of everyone
When God raised Israel, his greatest desire was that they may adopt his mannerism as his children, and later teach the world what a great thing to belong to God the father. Israel as his children, disregarded the parenting skills that the Lord wanted them to adopt and went into Idolatry. When it was too much to bear, the Lord used an example of gentile man to draw some lessons for Israel. His name was Jonadab.
Jonadab as a father to his children, printed his values in his children that even God admired. Several later, his ancestry strictly followed it as a way of life, just as their fore-father commanded. God told Jeremiah “Go to the Rekabite family and invite them to come to one of the side rooms of the house of the Lord and give them wine to drink. Jeremiah, as a messenger of God, says,” So I went to get Jaazaniah son of Jeremiah, the son of Habazziniah, and his brothers and all his sons—the whole family of the Rekabites.  I brought them into the house of the Lord, into the room of the sons of Hanan son of Igdaliah the man of God. Then I set bowls full of wine and some cups before the Rekabites and said to them, “Drink some wine.”[Jeremiah 35:1-6]
Did they drink wine as instructed by the Prophet Jeremiah? No way, they replied, “We do not drink wine, because our forefather Jehonadab son of Rekab gave us this command: ‘Neither you nor your descendants must ever drink wine. Also you must never build houses, sow seed or plant vineyards; you must never have any of these things, but must always live in tents. Then you will live a long time in the land where you are nomads.’ We have obeyed everything our forefather Jehonadab son of Rekab commanded us. Neither we nor our wives nor our sons and daughters have ever drunk wine or built houses to live in or had vineyards, fields or crops. We have lived in tents and have fully obeyed everything our forefather Jehonadab commanded us. [Jeremiah 35:6-11]
This indeed pained the Lord, that a simple word from a father, who was a gentile, is followed to the letter but Israel, his family, follows none of his teaching. Jeremiah was then told, Go and tell the people of Judah and those living in Jerusalem, ‘Will you not learn a lesson and obey my words?’ declares the Lord. ‘Jehonadab son of Rekab ordered his descendants not to drink wine and this command has been kept. To this day they do not drink wine, because they obey their forefather’s command. But I have spoken to you again and again, yet you have not obeyed me. Again and again I sent all my servants the prophets to you. They said, “Each of you must turn from your wicked ways and reform your actions; do not follow other gods to serve them. Then you will live in the land I have given to you and your ancestors.” But you have not paid attention or listened to me. The descendants of Jehonadab son of Rekab have carried out the command their forefather gave them, but these people have not obeyed me.’[Jeremiah 35:11-16]
The Lord then blessed the the Rekabites. He told them through Jeremiah. ‘You have obeyed the command of your forefather Jehonadab and have followed all his instructions and have done everything he ordered.’ Therefore this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says:‘ Jehonadab son of Rekab will never fail to have a descendant to serve me.’’[Jeremiah 35:18-19]
Dear parent, What is your mission, vision and core values that your family rides on? If the Lord wants to teach another person a lesson on parenting, will he draw it from your family, just as he did from Janadab’s family? God’s intention of marriage was that you may bring out the best in your kids that will exemplify his beauty, grace and attitude. His intention for Christian parenting was that they may raise a Godly offspring for him.[Malachi 2:15] .
Societies are made or destroyed by good or poor parenting. Whenever a child does anything unthinkable ,what people ask is “who are his parents, and mostly, they want to know who the father is! Johadabab made a mark in his ancestry that yrs and centuries later, his descendants were obedient to his will and wish, on how they can conduct themselves as his children.

Sons and daughters of God, with gun violence going high-drug related death jumping to high levels in our society, it just reminds us of what poor parenting can do for a society. Again, in the midst of all this situations, what are you doing to print a mark for God, in the children God has given you? Proverbs 31-1-3,is a letter written to a son. The word says in part, “Listen, my son! Listen, son of my womb! Listen, my son, the answer to my prayers! Do not spend your strength^] on women! What has destroyed men is illicit sex and drunkardness, but as a parent, what are you doing to save your son from the said vices? Talking to children against drunkardness and illicit sex is a role that is played well at home. It cannot be pushed to school or left for the teacher. It’s a parental responsibility that we all as parents cannot avoid. Lemuel learnt it from his father, but my question is, what are you teaching that son and daughter ,for the glory of God? In this 21st century, may God help you and me be the ones who will make a mark in our descendants for the glory of God. That’s a great responsibility from the Lord to all parents. May God help us all. Have a blessed day