parental correction

Fresh Manna
by Pastor Tim Burt

Happy Father’s Day Guys,

Job 39:13-18 says, “The ostrich flaps her wings grandly, but they are no match for the feathers of the stork. She lays her eggs on top of the earth, letting them be warmed in the dust. She doesn’t worry that a foot might crush them or that wild animals might destroy them. She is harsh toward her young, as if they were not her own. She is unconcerned though they die, for God has deprived her of wisdom. He has given her no understanding. But whenever she jumps up to run, she passes the swiftest horse with its rider.”

The Ostrich loves to be known for it’s great speed. That’s the ostrich’s claim to fame. That’s where it gets its kudos. That’s what feeds it’s pride. But the ostrich doesn’t value what God deems important which is looking out for her children. She doesn’t care about the protection of her children from the evils that work to destroy them. She is harsh with them as though they were an inconvenience and interference in her life. She has no emotional concern for them as her heart has become so hardened toward them because of her own selfishness. It says God has deprived her of wisdom.

God has not deprived father’s of wisdom! But He also doesn’t give it those who would mock, trample underfoot, or waste it. So Dads, unless you want to be like an ostrich, you have to look to God for His wisdom for raising your children and embrace it!

Proverbs 17:6 NKJV says, “Children’s children are the crown of old men; and the glory of children are their fathers.” I have grandchildren. Seven of them. They are a crown to me. They are precious. They help me relive and see the beauty of things I’ve forgotten about because I get to see life through their eyes all over again. They bring fresh pure love and they refresh life itself.

This verse continues “and the glory of children are their fathers.” Fathers, are you the glory of your children? Do you love them? Do you think about the big picture and because of it raise them to know God and His Word? You won’t unless you comprehend the value of it—for you and for them! Only then “might” you personally put God first!

Do you help them experience God through a local church, allowing them to learn in a community with other children—learning God’s Word and ways? Kids shape other kids whether you like it or not! Who will help shape yours?

Do you lovingly bring correction when they disobey you or your wife? You won’t unless you understand that correction, instruction, and training is the outworking of God’s love! God’s word teaches that correction properly applied will save their character and help shape their life to be contributors to society instead of destructors of society.

Do you encourage them to seek God for help and experience His grace? You won’t unless you are one to continuously seek His help in your own life.

Do you model and teach them discernment and restraint? Do your help them to discern good from evil in their decision making? You won’t unless you yourself have learned to exercise restraint from fleshly desires. Those who never learn to use godly discernment and exercise restraint often become god’s to themselves and run wild.

Do you sacrifice your own time to spend time with them? Did you know that the leading answer from children, to the question, What would you like more of in life? was, More time with my dad!

Children want their dad’s love and approval. Children want a protector. Children want boundaries that you will enforce—even if their flesh screams for fleshly desires just like yours does. You may see tantrums but at the end of the day, what they really want is good and right. They want a dad that is wise enough to know this and courageous enough to enforce right attitudes and behaviors and demand them of himself.

I have found that my adult children want no less love from me now, than then. As adults, they want it in the new format of friendship. They want a rich friendship from me. They still want love and approval. They want to make me proud. They want the space to make the same mistakes I did, and when given that space, they want to occasionally ask for my wisdom.

Children, when raised right, will never outgrow their need for their father’s love just as we will never outgrow our need for God’s love.

And as we grow into our senior years, they want to be able to sit down and talk heart to heart with their dad about life. They want to hear of your fears and failures and successes. They want to know how you worked through different kinds of challenging times. They want to know how you kept your love fresh for their mom. They want to hear the stories about themselves from you, the one’s they don’t remember. They want to know your heart and talk heart-to-heart and hear the stories without the interjection of our solutions and fixes. And they still want to occasionally play together. They want to have a great relationship and love for their father because they know deep down, “the glory of children is their father.” They want reason to emulate you!

It’s never too late to be a good dad! There may be cases when bridges have been burned and they seem irreparable. They aren’t with your kids and they aren’t with God. So don’t give up before you start! All things are possible, and love never fails! Get out there and be a great dad and grandpa! With God at the center! You aren’t an ostrich! You are a Dad who is equipped by God and graced with His help to get it right!

Malachi 4:6 (NIV) “He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers…”

In His love,
Pastor Tim Burt

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