{"id":276,"date":"2016-06-25T10:59:57","date_gmt":"2016-06-25T17:59:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.smallchelle.com\/?p=276"},"modified":"2016-06-27T06:44:54","modified_gmt":"2016-06-27T13:44:54","slug":"full-grown-youth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.smallchelle.com\/?p=276","title":{"rendered":"Full Grown Youth"},"content":{"rendered":"

This week I asked my boys if \u00a0they were a fruit tree what kind of fruit tree would they be? \u201cDragonfruit!\u201d said my 13 (almost 14)\u00a0year old, and \u201cBanana!\u201d said my 10 year old. Exotic kids. And surprising answers that matched them perfectly. One unique, different, unusual, and the other practical, helpful and consistent.<\/span><\/p>\n

The children are moving up in the world. This week the older boy got \u201cpromoted\u201d from 8th grade to \u201cFreshman!\u201d The younger boy finished 4th grade and has one year left of Elementary School. Where have my babies gone? I spent a lot of time this week praying for my boys and the future God has for them. Not just that they would be good and obedient, though some days my prayers are like that. But rather that they would know and trust Him the way I do. Scratch that\u2026 I pray that they would know and trust Him <\/span>better<\/span><\/i> than I do.<\/span><\/p>\n

May our sons in their youth
\n<\/span>be like plants full grown,
\n<\/span>our daughters like corner pillars
\n<\/span>cut for the structure of a palace;
\n<\/span>Psalm 144:12 <\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I came across this little set of verses in the Psalms one day a month or so ago and it really struck a chord with me. What a bold prayer. It gave me a little heart check. It made me stop and ask myself \u201cwhat do I pray for my kids?\u201d As a worried mom I often just white knuckle my way with prayers like \u201clet them be good, and not screw up their lives and not get on drugs and not find porn on the internet and not have sex till they\u2019re married.\u201d (No pressure kids\u2026)<\/p>\n

This Psalm gives us a hint of what God wants for our children and what he desires us to pray for them. In many places the bible speaks highly of the faith of children. Our kids <\/span>can <\/span><\/i>be mature believers in Christ but it\u2019s the same process we go through. Growing like plants, which we\u2019ll look at today, and cut into shape like pillars, which we\u2019ll learn about in the next post.<\/span><\/p>\n

It takes three things to bring a seedling to fruit bearing maturity. Roots in the water, leaves in the light and air, and pruning. So many verses compare believers to plants. Let\u2019s look at a couple of them in light of our kids. <\/span><\/p>\n

Roots in the Water \u2013 The Word<\/span><\/h4>\n

Scripture compares itself to water. It washes us, quenches our thirst, nourishes us. God provided miracle water for the children of Israel in the desert then Jesus offered himself to us as living water. We are baptised in water as an outward symbol of faith in Jesus.<\/p>\n

Blessed is the man
\n<\/span>who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
\n<\/span>nor stands in the way of sinners,
\n<\/span>nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
\n<\/span>but his delight is in the law of the <\/span>Lord<\/span>,
\n<\/span>and on his law he meditates day and night.
\n<\/span>He is like a tree
\n<\/span>planted by streams of water
\n<\/span>that yields its fruit in its season,
\n<\/span>and its leaf does not wither.
\n<\/span>In all that he does, he prospers.
\n<\/span>Psalm 1:1-3<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Science tells us the human body is up to 75% water and when we don\u2019t drink enough we dehydrate. If the dehydration is bad enough our body systems start shutting down and eventually we die. It is the most necessary element for life.<\/p>\n

Our children depend on us for physical food and water, which we happily provide for them a few times every day. We are called as parents to minister to our children\u2019s spiritual needs as well. We must be nourishing our children with the water of the word every day. For little ones this could be simply reading a small story out of an illustrated children\u2019s bible. When our kids were little our favorite was \u201cThe Jesus Storybook Bible\u201d by Sally Lloyd-Jones.<\/p>\n

Now that my kids are older my 13 year old reads the bible to me and our 10 year old during our morning drive to school. We\u2019ve read through and memorized a few different Psalms and we\u2019re currently reading the Gospel of John. Just a few verses a day is enough to open up amazing discussions about the Gospel, who God is and what he has done for us. It helps us tie scripture to our daily lives and activities. This is how we root our kids in the Gospel for a lifetime of loving God and loving others.<\/p>\n

Of course we haven\u2019t always done this perfectly. We work full time and have a lot of things going on like I\u2019m sure you all do. When kids are very little it\u2019s hard to make the bible a priority. I remember days as a young mom when I was lucky to get a shower and a hot meal, much less a few minutes in the word. If this is your season with very little kids and babies give yourself some grace. The Holy Spirit knows your heart. Throw on some praise music. Pray for small opportunities to work the word into your lives and then be ready to pounce when you see one.<\/p>\n

Leaves in the Sun and Air \u2013 Prayer<\/span><\/h4>\n

We don\u2019t just listen to God. He loves us so much he actually listens to us. The leaves of trees don\u2019t only take in sunlight but they breathe like we do. They filter out carbon dioxide and release life giving oxygen into the atmosphere. Prayer is like breathing with God. In the same way Jesus taught his disciples to pray, and the disciples taught the churches to pray, we ought to be teaching our children to pray.<\/p>\n

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:4-7<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Modeling this kind of daily prayer with our kids teaches them about their relationship with God. Kids can rejoice in our savior. Kids can show gratitude for God\u2019s many blessings. Kids grow in compassion by asking God to help hurting people. Kids can trust God to take care of them. Kids can have the peace of God guard their hearts (emotions) and minds (thoughts).<\/p>\n

Pruning \u2013 Hardship<\/span><\/h4>\n

I hate to see my kids sick or suffering. And if someone is messing with them\u2026 look out! But in reality, if we want to see the fruit of the Spirit in our kids lives we have to help them understand hardship and how we handle it.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit\u2026 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing\u2026 \u00a0If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father\u2019s commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.\u201d<\/span> \u00a0John 15: 1, 2, 5, 7-11<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The truth is, life isn\u2019t fair. I believe our job is to protect our youngest ones from harm and suffering, but as they grow we must teach them how to obey the rules for their own good. We don\u2019t let our kids play in the street or eat ice cream for every meal. We don\u2019t make a baby change his own diaper, but we eventually teach him to clean up after himself.<\/p>\n

This submission to pruning is something we model to our kids. When you are seeking God\u2019s will in prayer invite your kids into it. If they are old enough to pray they are old enough to help us pray for God\u2019s wisdom in our lives as parents. They will see how we seek the Lord in our own hard times for guidance, wisdom, patience and provision. As they see God answering prayer in our lives they will connect with God in powerful ways. They understand more than we give them credit for.<\/p>\n

I hope this has encouraged you to pray bold new prayers for your kids. Next time we\u2019ll look at the second half of the verse and learn what it means to be a corner pillar cut for a palace.<\/span><\/p>\n

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