DEDICATE YOUR FAMILY & PARENTING TO CHRIST

The word Crux is defined as the decisive or most important point at issue.  Its synonyms include; heart, essence, central point, main point, core, center, and bottom line.  In Latin the literal translation is the “Cross”.

WHY ARE WE HERE ON EARTH?

We are here because God created us and our children. You and your children are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14) in God’s image (Genesis 1:27) He created you to have a relationship with God (James 4:8) and live with Him for eternity (John 14:1) in His great love. (Eph 3:17-18) He calls us adopted sons and daughters. (John 1:12-13)

WHY ARE WE HERE TO TAKE THIS PLEDGE?

Because Christ is real. (See Know Christ) God is Love. (1 John 4:8) God is good. (Psalm 143:10) We experience Him in our lives and want to bring God into our family and parenting for our sake and the sake of our children. We want to do the good work God has planned in advance for us to do (Eph 2:10) including family leadership and parenting.

Outside of belief in God & Christ, what is first and second according to the Bible in the words of Jesus that God asks us to do? (Mark 12:30-31)

Love God with all heart, soul, mind, strength and love others as yourself.

If we ask God into our hearts, lives, family and parenting, by surrendering or confessing sin and recognizing who God is and how He is able to forgive us and guide our lives with his purpose and wisdom, then God is able to help us do what He has asked us to do and what we were created to do. The following is a chart of the difference between what God asks us to do and what we do in the human condition.

Each bullet point under the”What God Asks” chart corresponds to the bullet point on the “What We Do” chart.  In other words God asks us to love God, often what we do instead is grumble and complain. God asks us to forgive, what we might do is find fault or hold a grudge.  The continuum or the arrows pointing from one chart side to the other goes from Human Condition to God’s Condition. We are somewhere on this continuum.  How do we get from here in the human condition to there at what God wants us to do? How do we move toward good side or up the continuum? 

It takes God to get us from here to there. It takes God and our decision to choose God to be in a lead position in our life or Lord of our life.  In this case the areas of our life – family and parenting.  We are asking God to come into these areas that we may be trying to do out of our own power. We are asking God to take the throne seat in our parenting and family instead of ourselves. The more we know about God, the more we can ask Him to help us “imitate God” as it says to do in Ephesians 5:1. (NKJV,NRSV) How does that affect us as a parent?  The more individually we grow in our relationship to God (our walk with God) through prayer and the Bible the more we will move up the continuum. Then, as well, the more we, as a family, will be able to follow God and do His will. 

HOW DO WE KNOW GOD’S WILL?

The apostle Paul says we will be able to determine God’s will when we: 1) offer ourselves to God, 2) do not conform to the world and 3) renew our minds with God through prayer and the Bible. This is from Romans 12:1-2 which says, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

HOW IS GOD ABLE TO DIRECT OUR LIVES TO DO HIS WILL?  WHAT DO WE HAVE TO DO FOR GOD TO DIRECT OUR LIVES, FAMILIES AND PARENTING?

Proverbs 3:5-6 tells us we are to: 1) trust in God, 2) not lean on our own understanding and 3)  submit to God in ALL our ways and He will direct our path.  Further, Proverbs 16:3-4 (RSV) says, “Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.  The Lord has made everything for its purpose,” God has made family & parenting for its purpose. Let’s commit our family and this work – parenting – to the Lord and dedicate our family & parenting to Christ!

I dedicate my children, my family and my parenting to the Lord Jesus Christ asking Him to come into these areas of my life and be my compass and my guide.  I ask for more of God, for wisdom, for love, for patience and peace.