Beech Tree News Network

Paul told Timothy, “But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever” (I Tim. 5:8). I believe most folks have an interest in providing the necessities of life financially for their children. Many parents sacrifice willingly in order that their children might not be in want. If necessary, many parents would sacrifice their health in order to provide their children with medicine. Some would do without nourishment in order that their children might not go hungry. In considering the love a parent has for a child, many parents willingly make sacrifices for the physical well-being of their children.

    While we certainly must provide for the physical necessities of our children, let us understand that if we spend our lives merely providing for the financial comfort and security of our children, we will have been negligent in our duties before God. There is more to “providing” than merely providing in a physical sense! To provide food, clothing, and shelter for our children, and not to provide for their spiritual needs is to fail in our duties as parents. Just as our children have physical needs, our children have spiritual needs which must be met if they are going to be the kind of people God wants them to be (Prov. 22:6). If we are the kind of parents God wants us to be, we will not be negligent when it comes to providing for our children’s spiritual needs.
 
    In our daily living, we can get our priorities mixed up if we are not careful. We may end up focusing more on the “minors” and less on the “majors” if we do not open our eyes to what is most important. Most parents are concerned people who have good intentions toward their children, striving to give them all the “advantages” possible in this life. Yet, they are making some major mistakes when it comes to providing for the spiritual needs of their children.
 
    One mistake that parents make is when they say, “I am going to allow my children to make their own decisions about spiritual matters.” Would these same parents say: “I am going to allow my children to make their own decisions about drug use”? How about drinking alcohol, or driving a car before legally allowed, staying out all night, whether or not they will finish high school, etc.? Parents would not allow their children to make those decisions on their own because the children are not able to make such decisions. Yet in spiritual matters, many parents throw away restraints, and allow their children to do as they please! How foolish. Parents must provide children with the necessary training now and show them what is right in preparation for the day when they will make their own decisions in life (Matt. 5:16; Titus 2:2-6; Eph. 6:4)!   To be continued….

(Note: Caneyville church of Christ will have a Gospel Meeting with David McPherson on April 27-May 2. Come visit us …)

-- You are invited to visit with the Caneyville church of Christ. Times of services: Sun.: 10:00 am, 10:45 am, 5:00 pm; Wed.: 7:00 pm. Website: http://caneyvillechurchofchrist.com Tune in to our radio program on 1570 AM at 8:30 am, Mon-Fri. Questions? Call: (270) 589-4167