Friday, October 31, 2014

In studying responsible parenting let me make one final point. If we want our children to develop into mature, confident followers of the Lord we need to affirm them by blessing them. Many people go through life feeling lonely, lost and unloved. Even in their own family they don’t feel noticed or worth anything. They might believe there are things about them that are good and praiseworthy. But no one ever affirms them or those qualities in their lives. We hunger for the affirmation of anyone, especially our parents. Children hunger for the affirmation of their fathers. It’s not surprising, therefore, to find Old Testament patriarchs gathering their children around them and placing their hands on them while pronouncing a blessing over them. It’s also not surprising to find God giving Moses instructions on how He wanted Aaron and his sons to bless the people of Israel in Numbers 6:24-26: “The Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.” On occasion I’ve asked the people in a church service to stand if they crave for such a blessing to be pronounced over them. I’ve been surprised to see the large number who stood. Many said afterwards that no one ever did this for them, and how meaningful it was for them. As parents, never rob your children of this experience. Make time to affirm and give them your blessing. This is critical in responsible parenting.