|
|
|
|
For the Good of Your Child, Making Servant Training Practical - Lesson XI
In chapter 8 of Dr. Hobbs’ book, For the Good of Your Child, he, being a most practical man, choose to write his thoughts toward making servant training of children practical for God’s word is clear regarding God’s purpose for His creation.
It is a wonderful thing to know God’s purpose for your life, God’s will for your life and many people wonder about this, not realizing that all who name the name of Christ should already know this.
For all in the family of God are to be servants and all are to prepare to fulfill this purpose.
Think about the preparation one must perform when anticipating being a house servant in the grand home of the powerful.
I read again from Robert’s Guide for Butlers and Other Household staff:
There is no servant that can keep from being in a state of confusion, that has not a regular rule for his work, and, on the other hand, how disagreeable it must be for the lady (of the house), who has to tell them everything that she wants to be done. It was merely for this idea that the author of this (book) took in hand to lay before the public those general rules and directions for servants to go by as shall give satisfaction to their employers, and gain a good reputation for themselves. And it is my most earnest wish to give to the utmost extent of my power, every instruction that is requisite for a house servant to understand. So this author lists the servant’s duties and describes them in detail as to how they are to be done.
Included in his list: · The benefits of early rising to servants. · On dress suitable for their work. · Cleaning boots and shoes. · Cleaning knives and forks. · Trimming and cleaning lamps. · Setting up the candles. · Brushing and folding gentlemen’s clothes. · Address and behavior to your employers. And on and on listing over 150 duties for servants to learn.
Now you can imagine how much effort it took to bring a man or woman to servant hood so thinking about this in your home relative to your children the same effort will apply.
Dr. Hobbs wrote: In order to be successful in training your child to be a servant for Jesus Christ, the inner desire that your child grow up to be Christ’s servant, which is the noblest and highest ambition a parent could possibly have for their child, must be translated into positive action through a Biblical plan designed by the grace and help of God to accomplish such a purpose.
He as well as the author of Robert’s Guide cited above, agree, servants are not born, servants are made.
In Genesis 1:11, God established a principle for his creation that things should bring forth after their own kind. And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.
Now the grass, the herb, the fruit tree has no choice in what it is to yield, but God gives man, his ultimate creation, choice.
So therefore our children will be what we train them to be.
Will they be selfish and self-centered or will they be generous and caring; will they be proud and ungrateful or humble and thankful.
Will they desire to have their own way or will they be submissive to those in authority over them.
So many times parents will see themselves when they look at their children.
We train most by what we are as parents, not by what we say to our children.
None of us are perfect and we all enter parenthood with defects but with God’s help we can be successful in training our children to be servants, if we ourselves have or desire to have a servant’s heart.
A servant’s heart will tell you that successful parenting depends on the Lord.
God has, by his grace given to us the Bible, which is the manual for servant training and therefore it is a must to know what the manual says.
There is no reason for parents to wing it as far as bringing their children up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord for detailed instructions are given so that success will be realized. The Lord does not endorse laziness, or foolishness, or unbelief.
He will not do for us what He has given us to do as our responsibility. A. W. Tozer (1897–1963), There are some things that only God can do, and for us to attempt to do them is to waste our efforts; and there are other things that only man can do, and for us to ask God to do them is to waste our prayers.
However, when we with faith and determination set out to rear our children to be servants with the ultimate goal of having our children grow up to be His servants, you can be sure of His “increase.”
God is a husbandman and those who work in His field will always be given more in order to bring greater increase to Him and that includes your investment in your children.
Our culture will train your children if you neglect this important duty.
I believe never in the history of man has Satan, the director of the broad way had so many ways to train our children to be successful on the broad way.
So parents, know your enemy for Satan wishes to have your children and he has so devised a world system to bring them to his altar.
They are faced and you are faced with a call to love the world and the only defense you have is the grace of God that gives you the sword of the Spirit.
So arm yourself and put in place a narrow way upon which your children are to walk.
Make the Bible the center of your home for in so doing you will have a Christ centered home.
Within that Bible, find the accounts of Godly men and women and their deeds taking note of their servant qualities, faithfulness, obedience, and submission to God’s will.
Emphasize qualities of character rather than talent, intelligence, or appearance.
It is so disappointing to see the prevalence of so many children lifted up by giving attention to these qualities.
The broad way is the way of pride, self and self-promotion.
This does not result in servants.
In your family Bible study emphasize courage in facing difficulties; faith in the face of adversity; obedience to God’s word even when you don’t understand the “whys.’
Read at the earliest age of understanding the life stories of missionaries or other faithful servants of the Lord.
Point out the servant qualities of these great men and women as well as their sacrifice for the cause of Christ.
Make sure your children’s books are good books that are Biblical in their approach to right and wrong, good and evil.
Teach them that they are not owners but stewards of what God has placed in their hands.
Teach money as 100% belonging to the Lord’s.
Certainly the tithe is the Lord’s but all money is given to be spent as the Lord directs and is to be used to glorify Him and advance His cause, not ours.
As early as you determine let your children disperse their own money, allowance or earned, being sure that they plan to have something to put in the offering plate every time it passes, even if it is only a dime or so. Start good giving habits!
The emphasis is that servants are always “giving” people for the Lord gave His all for them.
So many homes today are centered on the children but child centered homes are not homes of servants for in these kinds of homes the children are the masters.
Don’t make every day Christmas day where children expect gifts to make them happy.
Make gifts special times and limit them, especially toys and playthings, as the children get older.
Perhaps they receive money as a gift from relatives.
Why not place the thought that God has now given them the opportunity to give some or all of it to missionaries, the needy, or a neighbor who is suffering.
Their church always has special needs and they now have the wherewithal to help.
Emphasize the fact that God’s word declares “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”
Tell them to put God to the test and He will always pass the test.
So why not let our children start getting in on these blessings at an early age.
God will not fail them!
Our culture promotes being first in everything.
Certainly it is wonderful to win but teach your children they do not have to be first in everything especially when it pertains to allowing others to benefit before them.
Giving others opportunity to be ahead of them in the line at church socials or other occasions is an example.
Another is for them to consider others when reaching for the last free item being passed out.
Servants let others enjoy benefits and have a heart to place themselves last.
Teach them to offer to let others, especially their elders, go first.
And I know this is totally out of date and your children may be thought of as odd but teach them to honor age in all things.
Leviticus 19:2 still pertains I believe, Thou shalt rise up before the hoary head, and honour the face of the old man, and fear thy God: I am the LORD.
And included in this rising up are servants who will rise up to tend to the needs of the elderly.
Teach your children to do jobs or run errands for them.
Every neighborhood has people of need who would be so blessed if a young person volunteered to help in some task.
What a testimony if that old person down the block had a young person who tended to their yard on a regular basis, asking nothing but the opportunity to serve Christ.
We are the body of Christ. For me to live is Christ.
Christian children are part of that body and are to work the works of Christ who is the head.
Why can’t they mow the grass, rake the leaves, wash the car, carry in firewood, mail letters, or even shop for them?
There are sick and those that are shut in.
Imagine the joy of having a young person who loves the Lord read to them, sit with them to relieve other family members.
Imagine the joy of seeing youth who care and will make the burden lighter without expectation of anything.
And don’t neglect to encourage your children to volunteer for the doing of jobs at church that require many hands.
Folding bulletins, cleaning, mowing, pulling weeds, litter removal and the many odd jobs that someone has to do.
Why not them? Are servant duties only reserved for adults?
And there are jobs that aid missionaries such as cutting out flannel graph figures, and nowadays even preparing PowerPoint presentations.
With the internet communication it is easy and if a child is listening to the missionary’s letters there are always needs that they can supply if they are equipped with a servant’s heart.
There are so many jobs and duties at home where servants are needed.
A child should be trained to know that they can make a difference at home and by their doing make the load lighter on their siblings, their mother and their father.
Fathers have you ever had your child shine your shoes?
Have your children helped each other with their homework?
What about kitchen duties?
The refrigerator always needs cleaning as well as the garage or your shop or the laundry room.
Children are only a part of the family when they share the load of the family.
Think beyond what you think they can do and get them to do it.
Remember your hand can reach the rest of the way that they can’t.
Dr. Hobbs wrote: Obviously it takes much time and work on the part of parents to see to it that their children get the servant-training they need while growing up. It is not an easy task but one that will pay dividends for eternity both for yourself and your child. |