(7) And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.
Involvement – interacting, discussing, thinking, and processing life together
(Ephesians 6:4) And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.
Teaching – the Scriptures and a biblical worldview (Psalm 78:5-6; Deuteronomy 4:10; Ephesians 6:4)
Psalms 78:5-6
(5) For he established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children:
(6) That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children:
(Deuteronomy 4:10) Specially the day that thou stoodest before the LORD thy God in Horeb, when the LORD said unto me, Gather me the people together, and I will make them hear my words, that they may learn to fear me all the days that they shall live upon the earth, and that they may teach their children.
Training – helping a child to develop skills and discover his/her strengths (Proverbs 22:6) and spiritual gifts (Romans 12:3-8)
(Proverbs 22:6) Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.
Romans 12:3-8
(3) For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
(4) For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office:
(5) So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.
(6) Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith;
(7) Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching;
(8) Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.
Discipline – teaching the fear of the Lord, drawing the line consistently, lovingly, firmly (Ephesians 6:4; Hebrews 12:5-11; Proverbs 13:24; 19:18; 22:15; 23:13-14; 29:15-17)
Hebrews 12:5-11
(5) And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:
(6) For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
(7) If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?
(8) But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.
(9) Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?
(10) For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.
(11) Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.
(Proverbs 13:24) He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes.
(Proverbs 19:18) Chasten thy son while there is hope, and let not thy soul spare for his crying.
(Proverbs 22:15) Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him.
Proverbs 23:13-14
(13) Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die.
(14) Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell.
Proverbs 29:15-17
(15) The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame.
(16) When the wicked are multiplied, transgression increaseth: but the righteous shall see their fall.
(17) Correct thy son, and he shall give thee rest; yea, he shall give delight unto thy soul.
Nurture – providing an environment of constant verbal support, freedom to fail, acceptance, affection, unconditional love (Titus 2:4; 2 Timothy 1:7; Ephesians 4:29-32; 5:1-2; Galatians 5:22; 1 Peter 3:8-9)
(2 Timothy 1:7) For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
Ephesians 4:29-32
(29) Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.
(30) And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
(31) Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:
(32) And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.
Ephesians 5:1-2
(1) Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children;
(2) And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.
(Galatians 5:22) But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
1 Peter 3:8-9
(8) Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous:
(9) Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.
Modeling with Integrity – living what you say, being a model from which a child can learn by “catching” the essence of godly living (Deuteronomy 4:9, 15, 23; Proverbs 10:9; 11:3; Psalm 37:18, 37).
(Deuteronomy 4:9) Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life: but teach them thy sons, and thy sons' sons;
(Deuteronomy 4:15) Take ye therefore good heed unto yourselves; for ye saw no manner of similitude on the day that the LORD spake unto you in Horeb out of the midst of the fire:
(Deuteronomy 4:23) Take heed unto yourselves, lest ye forget the covenant of the LORD your God, which he made with you, and make you a graven image, or the likeness of any thing, which the LORD thy God hath forbidden thee.
(Proverbs 10:9) He that walketh uprightly walketh surely: but he that perverteth his ways shall be known.
(Proverbs 11:3) The integrity of the upright shall guide them: but the perverseness of transgressors shall destroy them.
(Psalms 37:18) The LORD knoweth the days of the upright: and their inheritance shall be for ever.
(Psalms 37:37) Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace.
The Bible never states that every woman should be a mother. However, it does say that those whom the Lord blesses to be mothers should take the responsibility seriously. Mothers have a unique and crucial role in the lives of their children. Motherhood is not a chore or unpleasant task. Just as a mother bears a child during pregnancy, and just as a mother feeds and cares for a child during infancy, so mothers also play an ongoing role in the lives of their children, whether they are adolescents, teenagers, young adults, or even adults with children of their own. While the role of motherhood must change and develop, the love, care, nurture, and encouragement a mother gives should never cease.
http://mikessundayschoollessons.yolasite.com
Attributes of Christian Mothers – 5/8/11
Motherhood has been marginalized over the years. While most mothers care greatly for their children, some see children as nuisances. Society has played down the role of the stay at home mom, however that job is the most demanding of all jobs. Being a foster parent, I see how some mothers make poor choices either when pregnant or in how they care for their children’s daily needs. It is a mother’s love, or the lack of it, that has a direct effect on the direction children take when they become adults.
Being a Christian mother however is a higher calling. Christian mothers have the primary responsibility of raising Christian children. They serve as examples for not only their children, but for their spouses. Any Christian man that says he doesn’t rely heavily on his wife concerning the raising of children is not facing the truth.
Being a mother is a very important role that the Lord chooses to give to many women. A Christian mother is told to love her children (Titus 2:4-5), in part so that she does not bring reproach on the Lord and on the Savior whose name she bears.
Titus 2:4-5
(4) That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children,
(5) To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.
Children are a gift from the Lord (Psalm 127:3-5). The idea in Titus 2:4 is that caring for our children, nurturing them, affectionately embracing them, meeting their needs, and tenderly befriending each one is a unique gift from the hand of God given to mothers.
Psalms 127:3-5
(3) Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.
(4) As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth.
(5) Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.
Several things are commanded of Christian mothers in God’s Word:
Availability – morning, noon, and night
Deuteronomy 6:6-7
(6) And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: