What’s At Stake For Your Children In 2016?
We’ve been here before, haven’t we? The start of a fresh year full of possibilities. It’s that time when, if we have courage enough, we take stock of the year that’s past and resolve to make improvements in the areas that need them most. For most of us there are more areas that need improvement (or a complete overhaul) than we would care to mention (or maybe that’s just me? 🙂
And so, the call goes out from nearly every corner – “This is the year that you’ll (fill in the blank).” What came to mind just then? This will be the year that you…eat healthy? Remodel your home? Go on that dream vacation? Get fit and stay fit? The fact is, you probably filled that blank with something you believe is actually attainable by years end. No use getting your hopes up over something that might take 2 or 3 or 10 years to accomplish, right? Some things, we think to ourselves, may never happen at all.
This is where things get sad. Often there are things that are crying out for a renewed effort and commitment from us that we pass over because we feel the challenges are just too great. However, this is a sure sign that these are the most crucial issues in our lives. Nothing worthwhile comes without effort, and the greatest things require the greatest effort. Children, for instance.
Perhaps when you filled in the, “This is the year that you’ll…” blank, the needs of your children and your home flashed through your mind, but they were quickly dismissed as being far too difficult a case for any one New Year’s resolution to tackle. Fair enough. Now I’d like you to ask yourself, “What’s at stake?”
What’s at stake this year if you don’t make your children a priority? What’s at stake if you fail to offer them the love and attention that they not only desire but deserve? What’s at stake if you allow other pursuits, even other resolutions, to take precedent over the sacred obligation you have to raise your children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord? Honestly, you could count on one hand the number of things that are actually more important than your children, and you wouldn’t even need all 5 fingers.
And yet, life has a remarkably diabolical way of luring us into such a hectic pursuit of other things that it often appears as if our little ones carry far less importance than Facebook feeds or keeping up with a television sitcom.
Come to think of it, we generally resolve to reform areas that will be with us for the rest of our lives, but tend to pass over things with a limited shelf life. Take weight for instance. For most of us, the thing that’s at stake if we don’t lose 20 lbs. this year is that we’ll be 20 lbs. overweight next year. But if you pass over the year long opportunity that you have to bear down and get serious about raising your children, you will be one year closer to the moment when they walk out from under your roof forever. Of course, they will always be your children, but the opportunity to shape and mold them when they’re young will eventually vanish.
I’m not trying to discourage anyone from making fitness resolutions. My wife and I have some of our own. What I am trying to discourage is passing over the most critical areas of your life when you make your New Year’s resolutions because you think they’re too big or too difficult or too far gone. You’ve probably heard the phrase, “Too big to fail,” applied to giant corporations. This phrase is far more applicable to your marriage, your children, and your home. Few things in America are under more intense fire than these and as such, they require constant care and attention.
Perhaps 2015 was especially hard for you and your children. Perhaps what you (and they) need is a steadfast resolve on your part to be the parent God has called you to be. What’s at stake if you let 2016 slip through your hands like so many others? Nothing less than the few, fleeting years you have to direct your little ones to God.
Most likely, if you don’t go on vacation this year you can go the next or if you put off the home remodel one more year everything will be fine. But please, don’t let one more year go by before you commit (or recommit) yourself too your children. No matter how old they are, they will never be this age again and all of the unique blessings that come with this stage of life will pass.
This year (and every year) may our resolution be, “I will bless my children.”
Amen! As an expectant first time mom I enjoyed reading this to be reminded how important children are. More important than a perfect house, schedule, travels, etc., We need to focus on training children in the way they should go, to love the Lord Jesus. Looking forward to more posts!
Fantastic and sobering! Praise God He gives us all that we need to succeed in His Word and the power to do so through His Spirit. 🙂 A year of great opportunity with each of our children!