A short meditation on God's Word about children

I pray that God will protect our children from all adversaries, granting them peace and stability so that they may become people of peace (see 1 Chronicles 22:9, Korean Modern Bible).

I pray that, as God has promised, He will be with our children so that they may successfully carry out His work for the kingdom of God (see 1 Chronicles 22:11, Korean Modern Bible).

I pray that God will grant our children wisdom and understanding so that they may live faithfully according to all His commandments (see 1 Chronicles 22:12, Korean Modern Bible).

If our children carefully keep all of God's commandments, they will prosper in all they do (see 1 Chronicles 22:13, Korean Modern Bible).

I want to tell my children, "Be strong and courageous, and do not be afraid of anything" (see 1 Chronicles 22:13, Korean Modern Bible)

I want to tell my children, "Seek God with all your heart and devotion, and live for His kingdom and His church" (see 1 Chronicles 22:19, Korean Modern Bible)

As I meditate on this short passage from God's Word about children this morning, I am reminded of a conversation I had yesterday afternoon with a couple.  The reason is that our discussion was primarily about our children.  So, this morning, as I reflect on that conversation once again, I want to write down some of my personal thoughts on parenting, one by one:

1.      As a father of three children, there have been many times when I did not know how to raise them.  That is why I deeply resonate with Manoah’s prayer in the Bible, asking God to teach him how to raise his child (see Judges 13:8, 12, Korean Modern Bible).

2.      I cannot help but acknowledge before God and others that I lack wisdom in parenting.  That is why I hold on to James 1:5: "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given to him."

3.      I am learning about parenting little by little, one lesson at a time, through countless mistakes.   So, I tell my beloved children, "It’s okay for you to make mistakes or even to fail, as long as you learn from them."

4.      When I think of my children, I pray to God: "Lord, may You raise beloved Dillon, Yeri, and Karis as Christ-centered visionary leaders to expand the Kingdom of God."

5.      When I pray for my children, I specifically pray like this:

(Dillon): "God, reveal Your truthfulness and faithfulness to Dillon so that he may be truthful and faithful to You."

(Yeri): "God, accomplish the work of Ephraim in Yeri so that she may be twice as fruitful."

(Karis): "God, help Karis to truly understand Your grace so that she may live a life of sharing and extending grace to others."

6.      I am witnessing God at work in the lives of my three children.  It is purely by His grace.  As a father, I have done little for them, and even now, I fall short.  Yet, I firmly believe that because God loves them more than anyone else, He Himself is faithfully nurturing them.

7.      I want to be a father who reminds my beloved children of Jesus.  So, when I pass away and they remember me, I pray they will say, "My father loved Jesus and showed Him to me" (see Hebrews 11:4).