A solid foundation for children involves a solid moral base. Parents who teach their children honesty but fail to practice it themselves create real problems. For example, suppose parents repeatedly tell their children to be truthful, but when the telephone rings, they call out to the child who's answering it, "Tell them I'm not home." The message to the child is clear. If children are taught to lie for parents, they are taught to lie to parents. As another example, suppose parents lecture their children on the importance of obeying the law, yet install a radar detector in the car to evade being stopped for speeding. The message again is clear. If you're going to break the law, don't get caught. Be smart like your dad and mom. And another, suppose parents instruct their children to be good citizens, yet they cheat on their income returns. The message? It's okay to be dishonest when it comes to taxes because "the government is going to waste the money anyhow." Parents who do this are dishonest, and they're teaching their children to be dishonest. We fail our children if we say, "Don't do as I do, but do as I say." Here are some scripture to go along with this. 4:9 "Only take heed, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things which your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life; make them known to your children and your children's children-- 5:19 Whoever then relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but he who does them and teaches them shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 4:9 What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, do; and the God of peace will be with you. 2:22 You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by works, 2:23 and the scripture was fulfilled which says, "Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness"; and he was called the friend of God. 2:24 You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone. 2:25 And in the same way was not also Rahab the harlot justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way? Toni |
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