“Tell London” by telling your children

Are you telling, preparing to tell, thinking about it? I am talking about telling our community that Jesus is Coming Soon. We had planned focus on the family for the whole month of February and it was interesting to see how “coincidental” (there is no such a thing as chance with God) it was as the community around us focuses on the same thing – FAMILY!!!

I got an e-mail from some church members after preaching on parental responsibility alerting me of a few articles in the London Free Press this past week – about fathers who avoid paying child support, about parental neglect and lack of discipline in the family. The local 1290AM radio had been talking about reasons poor parenting of some is affecting the rest of community by drawing resources away from those who want to succeed. The CTV and few other stations had been talking this week about the whole society going downhill, attributing it directly to the lack of education and discipline within family.

All these communications inadvertently connect the current conditions of the family to the role of a mother! Either excusing mothers by saying they have not enough resources by fathers not supporting, or by being depressed and alone; or by blaming them for spending too much time in the workplace and neglecting the relational needs of their children, or simply by blaming the high stress and inflation on forcing both parents to work to survive the standards of living. In any case – every story links family issues to the Mother’s Role.

Not surprisingly – the bible mentions mother every time the character and accomplishments of a ruler mentioned. Read Kings & Chronicles: so & so reigned…and his mother’s name was… Ancients connected directly what the man did in his life – walking right in the eyes of the LORD or doing evil in the sight of the LORD – to the role of mother in their life.

The classic book on parenting - Adventist Home – says this: “The home should be to the children the most attractive place in the world, and the mother's presence should be its greatest attraction.” (p.21)

The influence of the church and that of a pastor is limited by mother’s role in the family: “…the mother has her line of work. She is to bring her children to Jesus for His blessing. She is to cherish the words of Christ and teach them to her children. From their babyhood she is to discipline them to self-restraint and self-denial, to habits of neatness and order. The mother can bring up her children so that they will come with open, tender hearts to hear the words of God's servants. The Lord has need of mothers who in every line of the home life will improve their God-given talents and fit their children for the family of heaven.” (p.236)

Are you telling your children that Jesus is Coming Soon? How are your daily actions of shopping, organizing your home, taking a time off communicate to your children your faith that Jesus is coming soon?