Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Godly parent

The Influence of a Godly Parent
2 Timothy 1:1-5


Over the years, a number of people have expressed a desire to hear more about my mother Rebecca. I mention her often in sermons because she was one of my greatest influences. In the next two days, I'll share with you a few of the fundamental life lessons she taught me. These are instructions I believe every parent should give children.


My mother taught me to pray. Every night we knelt together next to my bed while she spoke with the Lord. I listened to her words and her tone, which gave me a pattern for my own prayers.


My mother brought every need before God. Every week she worked 40 hours in a textile mill to bring home $9.10. I can still picture those checks. Yes, times have changed and inflation must be taken into account, but poor is poor. With less than 10 dollars a week, we had to cover rent, food, clothing, bus fare, and all the little expenses that crop up. I would get nervous sometimes and ask Mother how we were going get by. She said, "We're going to trust God. We read in the Bible how He answered prayers then, and He's going to meet our needs now."


Mother had never heard the word "theology," but she had plenty of it. She did not attend seminars or study child-rearing books. Rebecca read the Bible and applied God's principles to her life. Then she made sure her son knew how to do the same. Moms and Dads, that is what it means to be a godly parent.



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