Everything we do or don't do in this world, everything we read, watch and listen to, everything we write, show or say, in one way or another affects ourselves and those who are touched by what we do. It is written in Romans 14:12 that we will give account to God for everything. And what this account will be like, we decide here and now.
When we create a family, we take responsibility for the happiness and life of another person, for their health and spiritual state. But that's not all. Union with a marriage partner leads to new people being born into the world, who depend entirely on us and become what we make them.
Parents initially do not have the fullness of wisdom in raising children, and may make serious mistakes, but they are not alone involved in this process. When they choose God's way and God's methods, then the Three most powerful Forces in the entire Universe and the entire army of ministering spirits sent to those who will inherit salvation begin to cooperate with them.
Any upbringing of children brings exactly the fruit that was sown and grown. Although freedom of choice gives any child the right to choose their own path and build their life as they see fit, they will always be guided by those principles, habits and rules that were laid in them by their parents.
God knows when and how much light inexperienced parents received, how they used the revelations received and how they embodied new knowledge into life. He remembers all their prayers and the absence of such. And someday every father or mother will be asked the question: "Where is that child whom I entrusted to you?" What the answer will be depends on many factors.
God is Love, and such questions will come from a loving heart. The Lord knows all the difficulties and temptations we faced. He gives us the gift of repentance and accepts it when we, realizing our weakness and worthlessness, tearfully ask Him to show mercy to us and save us from ourselves. A loving Heavenly Father will not finish us off out of a desire to take revenge for our mistakes, but will accept us and wipe away every tear. But if we, being unfaithful stewards and educators, try to justify our ignorance and present ourselves as righteous and holy, then we will have to face God's justice and taste its power.
There is another side of responsibility before God, when parents did everything possible to preserve their children from all evil, applied all their efforts and wisdom to put the most important, valuable and necessary things into young consciousness, devoted all their time and means to give children the necessary knowledge, but at the same time understand how much more could have been done, what they irretrievably missed, then God will have a special attitude toward this category of people and will show them how Heaven evaluated their work and how it answered their prayers.
Investing the best and most precious in our children, we do not know how this will be evaluated, what path they will choose and what influence, ultimately, all our efforts will have.
But let's try to imagine a little what Eternity is? It is very much, it is much more and better than the boldest imagination can conceive. It is worth fighting for, to get into it and enter there not from the last strength, like a brand plucked from the fire, but as a victor, with the banner of love and in full armor of God.
How pleasant and joyful it will be for every father and mother, entering into Eternity, to say: "Here am I and my children, whom You entrusted to me!"
What could be better than spending all Eternity alongside those whom the Lord gave you to raise, in whom the best feelings and means were invested, whom your soul loves so much?
If you ask any parents with many children which of their children they love most, they will of course say that they love all equally, but the most dear to them will be those to whom the most love and care was shown, who was most often in their prayers and instructions. We love more those in whom we invest more.
You should not worry about the good seed that was sown in children's hearts.
You should not suffer because, with all the right upbringing, children chose the wrong path. You do not know how the Lord grows the good seed and at what time it will bring forth good fruit. Perhaps in this life many of you are not destined to see the fruits of your good influence, but do not despair, we have a God Who knows how to answer our prayers even after our death.
But the most important thing is that you understand that Eternity will be the most beautiful place for you, not when your children will be there, but because Jesus will be there. Children will only be able to share with you your joy from the awareness of eternal God's presence, which they, like you, will experience. They will also have personal relationships with their Savior and rejoice that He kept them in this world from evil and saved them.
Raising children in God's Spirit and with the desire to make them worthy citizens not only of this world, but also of the coming Kingdom, will bring good reward not only in Eternity, but also in earthly life.
Loving parents will be pleased to observe how right feelings and motives for good manifest in their child, how lessons of obedience, patience and diligence will be reflected in their attitude toward other people. How all good words and manners become part of their nature. How in their children you will receive gratitude for all your sleepless nights, for vigils in prayer, for strictness and unconditional love.
The influence of loving father and mother who believe in God and cooperate with Him is the most powerful force that, in combination with God's influence, will produce in your children far more important decisions and actions than you imagine. But the last word remains with the child's choice.
Remember that you are raising a person not for yourself, but for God, and your task includes helping them to be independent of no one except God and self-sufficient under any conditions.
Just as in due time an eagle pushes its chicks out of the cozy nest and pushes them into the abyss so they will fly, so you will someday have to declare to your grown children that they are now free to choose their further life path as they decide and prayerfully observe what they will choose and where they will direct their wings.
God will bless every effort of yours and every investment that will serve for the good of developing a God-fearing character.
The finish line is not so far away and you should not give up when the reward for labor is very close.
If I have a wise and detailed plan for building a beautiful house, have sufficient means and strength to build what I conceived, if I persistently engage in this matter, then I do not expect at the end of my construction to see a half-dead barn or a tumbledown hut. I will get in reality what was in the plan on paper, if I do everything as it was written and calculated.
Do not be afraid to raise your children as the Lord advises. Believe Him and be firm, believe His prophets and you will have success, sow good seed and you will reap a good harvest.
Questions for Reflection
Please read Isaiah 8:18; Matthew 12:36; 25:21; Ecclesiastes 12:14; Galatians 6:7; 2 Timothy 4:7-8; 1 Corinthians 15:58; Philippians 1:6; Psalm 126:1; Joshua 24:15; 2 Chronicles 20:20, in light of this lesson. What other verses from the Bible came to your mind? What did you understand from this lesson? Why will every person give account to God for their life? How do marriage and having children increase a person's responsibility before God? Why is it important to instill right principles in children from an early age? Will God take into account the level of understanding of parents in their account before Him? Why can children choose the wrong path even with proper upbringing? Why is it important to trust God even when the fruits of upbringing are not yet visible? How can God answer parental prayers even after their death? Why is the most important thing in eternity the presence of Jesus? Why should we not be afraid to raise children as the Lord advises? Why should parents help children become independent of people, but dependent on God? Do you think you will be successful if you do everything according to God's plan?