Family Friday 10/7/22

"Creating a Structure in the Home"

Proverbs 23:26

Over the Wednesday nights of October, I am planning to teach on this topic concerning the heart of our children. We live in a society that is competing for the heart of our children, and the devil wants to turn their hearts away from God and shipwreck their lives.

For some time now this verse has been a central verse in how I pray for my children. It is the central verse that gives me a vision for my children. It is the verse that causes me to ask God to give me my children’s heart. The younger our children are the easier it is to have their heart. If we as parents do not seek to have our children’s heart than we must understand that our children will give their heart to someone. When we do not have our children’s heart, we run the risk that they will break our heart.

Some may say, why do I need their heart? I just want their heart to be given to God. While we of course want their hearts to be given to God, the route by which they get their heart to God is through you as their parent. You are the container that God has designed to hold a child’s heart. (Psalm 127:4-5) You are the quiver that holds His little arrows. You need to win your children’s heart.

If we want to have our children’s heart than we must start at the very basics. We must create a family structure that will protect the heart of our children. I cannot force my children to give me their heart, but I can create a structure, an environment, that is conducive for them to give me their heart.

Structure in the home begins with the leadership. Dr. Lee Roberson used to say, “Everything rises and falls on leadership” I believe this is true. The leadership of the home is a partnership between the husband and the wife, of which the husband is the senior partner. (Ephesians 5:23) This means that the responsibility of organizing the structure in the home begins with the father.

I believe that the role of winning the hearts of the children mainly belongs to the father. If the father can win his children’s hearts, then it will be an easy task for the mother to have their hearts as well. We must notice that in our opening text the call for the children’s heart came from their father, after which he makes the statement, “…and let thine eyes observe my ways.” Structure in the home will be organized by the father, not by his plotting and scheming, but by his example.

I am afraid sometimes as husbands and fathers we see ourselves as the CEO of the family, at the head of the institution directing and commanding what is to be done. The truth is that this is what our families need sometimes, but then there are times that they need to see a husband and a father who is blue collard enough to roll up his sleeves and participate in the nitty gritty work of the house and set the example of how it should be done. The father will win the child’s heart by his example. The father should be a…

SPIRITUAL EXAMPLE

a. Show them how to walk with God.

b. Show them how to pray.

c. Show them how to serve the Lord.

LOVING EXAMPLE

a. Show them how to love their children

b. Show them how to love their spouse

c. Show them how to love the brethren

d. Show them how to have compassion on the poor.

WORKING EXAMPLE

a. Show them how to be a hard worker.

b. Show them how to fulfill responsibilities.

HUMBLE EXAMPLE

a. Show them how to be humble.

b. Show them how to apologize.

c. Show them how to prefer others first.

IMAGINATIVE EXAMPLE

a. Show them how to use their minds

b. Show them how to play well with others

HONEST EXAMPLE

a. Show them how to keep their word.

b. Show them how to be dependable.

c. Show them how to keep their word.