Honor – PaulThompsonBlog

It is the desire of all God honoring parents to want their children to live God pleasing lives. The duty of godly parents is to, first of all, conduct their lives in a manner worthy of the Gospel (Philippians 1:27). That is; living in an authentic manner that can be modeled by others. Part of the parenting work is one part instruction and two parts setting an example of patterns.

A pattern is something to be copied/imitated in action or attitude. The duty of setting a pattern is a high duty.

Parents, be patterns… (patterns, not pretensions)

Let your children see in you the patterns of godliness.
Let your children see in you the patterns of holiness.
Let your children see genuine patterns of compassion.
Let your children see your horror of sin.
Let your children see you value Christ.
Let you children hear your love for Christ’s church.
Let your children hear you sing praise to God.
Let your children hear your cracking voice when you speak of the holiness of God.
Let your children see you smile at the news of God’s grace.
Let your children see in you a pattern of prayer.
Let them hear your humble repentance.
Let them watch you conduct yourself in a manner worthy of the gospel.

Next time you are in conversation, don’t forget there are intentional observers watching and listening to you and are about to imitate your words, body language, phrasing, tone, eye rolling, facial expressions and all such.

Be exemplary.

It’s exhausting to be on spot at all times. You really never get to let your guard down (and it’s best that you don’t). Let them see in you a striving toward joy in the Lord. Let them see a pattern of desire to conduct your life in a manner worthy of the Gospel; not because you deserve the gospel, but because of Christ’s work on your behalf.

O dear parents, let them see how they should walk. They may choose to reject you and your God, but not because you didn’t set a pattern of God honoring conduct.

Go, show them who your Lord is; they are watching you, always.

This generation of the church is more captivated by a blockbuster thriller, superhero comics, social(-less) media, and hero worship of fictional characters portrayed by godless masses than the redeemer, Christ the Lord. This generation of the church expects their church to present truth the same way this world has cast this bewitching spell upon them.

“Entertain me!”, they say.
“You owe me!”, they expect.
“If it doesn’t keep my attention, I’m off to the one that will!”, they actually believe this.

Where is the parent who will nurture their children on the Word of God?
Where is the husband who will love his wife as Christ loves the church?
Where is the wife who will display the glory of God by giving herself only to her husband?
Where is the missionary who will set the thrills of this world aside for the call of God to dark prison cells?
Where is the church that will trust the sufficiency of Christ?
Where is the preacher who will preach eternal truth?
Where is the evangelist who will speak of the necessity of the blood of Christ?
Where is the sojourner who who knows this is not his home?
Where is the neighbor who will consider her neighbor as someone who needs the gospel as desperately as she does?
Where is the man of God who will humble himself before the Lord?
Where is the woman of God who will display the glory of God in her modesty?
Where is the child who will honor his father and mother.

By the grace of God, His people are around. But is this the church you are of? Are you this parent who will nurture in the ways of the Lord? Are you the husband who loves? the wife who helps? the missionary who goes? the church that trusts? the preacher who preaches? the evangelist who speaks? the sojourner with citizenship from above? the neighbor who concerns? the man you are? the woman you are? the child you are?

If so, may the Lord continue to help. If not, say this to the Lord with me today… “I repent of my wayward, distracted devotion.”

Posts Tagged with Honor

Parents, Walk in a Manner Worthy of Being Followed by Your Children

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