God's Top Three Desires for Your Children

I have been meditating on a verse recently and I wrote a post about it on one of my other blogs.  The verse is Micah 6:8: "He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?"  I was struck by the absolute simplicity of the verse.  I mentioned this at Bible study and a good friend of mine pointed out that not only are God's three requirements in this verse where we should concentrate, but also our children.  This was eye-opening for me.

What is important for our children to accomplish in life?  Getting good grades?  Going to a good college?  Finding a good job?  Those are not wrong necessarily, but shock of all shocks, they aren't on God's list.  You won't find any place in the Bible where God says that he desires our children to have A's and B's, get into a good school or get a great job.  You see, God really doesn't care what your report card says or what school you go to or what job you end up with to provide for yourself and/or your family.  God has clearly revealed the three important requirements he has for the life of man: 1) Do justice, 2) Love kindness, 3) Walk humbly with your God.  These are what we should desire for our children.

So then the question is, am I leading my children to do what God asks of them?  Am I teaching them to do justice, that is, to treat others fairly, to not lie or be dishonest or take advantage of others?  Am I teaching them to love kindness, to throw off anger and revenge, to be gentle and selfless, seeking the good of others above themselves?  Am I teaching them to walk humbly with God, knowing he is sovereign, he is in control and he is to be trusted, loved and obeyed?  God does not judge parents on how much money their child makes in the future, or if their child got academic awards or if their child achieved the heights of a sport.  What matters to God is if our children learn from us to be people who practice justice, love kindness and walk humbly with God.

The hardest part of the matter is that we must demonstrate justice, lovingkindess and humility in our own lives if our children are ever to learn them.  So, do I treat my children fairly?  Do I favor one over the other or are they equals in my eyes?  Do I discipline fairly or punish harshly?  Do I show them I love them?  Am I loyal to them, showing up when I say I will?  Do I yell in anger or speak in gentleness?  Do I display for them a life walking humbly with God?  Do I grouse and complain when things don't go the way I want showing I don't trust a sovereign God?  Do I turn to God in trouble, holding onto him in trial?  Do my prayers in front of my children reveal I have faith in God?

Take a moment before God and answer these two questions: 1) Does my parenting reveal that I want what God wants out of my children or am I pushing them to conform to what I will for them?  2) Does how I treat and interact with my children show justice, lovingkindness and humility?  Our answers to these two questions will reveal if we are parenting God's way or our own.