Children

The Most Important Words To Say To Your Kids

By Erik Raymond

Parenting, like marriage, is usually not characterized by substantial events but hundreds of smaller things that accumulate and shape the relationships between parents and their children.

Personally, it’s hard for me to believe that my wife and I have been parents now for nearly 25 years. We began as non-Christians, were graciously saved, and then began learning the Bible. This had a substantial effect on our parenting. Soon we started getting a better grasp on the gospel and its implications. We learned that the gospel isn’t only what saves us but also what shapes us as Christians.

Now, after seeing two kids grow to be adults and move out on their own and with another four still in the home, I understand even more the importance of a simple phrase we’ve tried to communicate to our kids. And even more than saying it, we’ve been attempting to model its truthfulness and power.

I commend it to you as the most important words I think you can consistently say to your kids.

Here it is: No matter what you do, I will never love you any less.

This summarizes our relationship. We are a family. And this relationship is not defined by what we do—either by doing good or bad. The kids did not earn their way in and they cannot do anything to change their status. They are fixed.

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My wife and I love them, no matter what.

To look into one of our kid’s teary eyes or upon their guiltgripped posture and say, no matter what you do, I will never love you any less, is powerful. And it’s reflective of God’s love for His children.

If you’re a Christian, then I’m sure it’s transparent to you where this comes from. God’s love for His children through Christ is not based upon our merits. We didn’t love ourselves into Christ, and we can’t sin ourselves out of Him. Love begins with God and extends out to helpless and hopeless rebels (Rom. 5:6-11; Eph. 2:1-10).

Our standing in God is based upon our union with Christ. We are “in Christ” (Eph. 1). Therefore, God’s love for us is fixed. Indeed because of Christ, the Father says, no matter what you do, I will never love you any less. Because of the gracious plan of the Father, the work of the Son, and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, being in God’s family is a fixed status and His love. This is good news, indeed.

Therefore, as a parent seeking to reflect the gospel and instruct our children, it is good to remind them and ourselves of this truth regularly. No matter what you do, I will never love you any less. As you can imagine, these words are so appropriate and life-giving amid times pain, confusion, hurt, sadness, and disappointment.

To look into one of our kid’s teary eyes or upon their guiltgripped posture and say, no matter what you do, I will never love you any less is powerful. It’s meaningful. It’s sincere. It’s love from another world. It’s reflective of God’s love for His children.

This phrase will not save you from the pain and disappointment that is common in this world. But the sentiments behind it will provide a framework and a power for properly dealing with it.

I’ve never regretted saying this. I only wish I could travel back in time and say it more often.

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Coalition, INC. All Rights Reserved> Erik Raymond

Beginning A Christian Life

By J R Miller

Every young person should be a Christian. All the heart's truest instincts would lead the soul to God. Christ alone can answer our cravings and satisfy our longings. In Him alone, can anyone reach the things that are true and right and lovely.

How may one begin to be a Christian? The hunger is in the heart, the desire to take Christ as Savior and Master; but many a young person passes through a long experience of painful anxiety and perplexity, in finding the way into the light of faith and peace. This is a common experience. Young people long to have someone to speak to them about Christ, so that they can voice their heart's yearnings, and come out in joyful acceptance and confession of Christ. They love Christ, and want to speak of their love; but they need the touch of human love to help them. Happy are the young people who at this critical point in their spiritual history — have wise, gentle, patient guidance.

To begin to be a Christian is to commit your life to Him — and that you may without fear, doubt, or reserve, trust Him. It is not by our love for Christ that we are saved — but by Christ's love for us. Faith in Christ is simply the acceptance of divine friendship. You need not trouble yourself about the smallness of your love, or the feebleness of your faith; your hope and your security are not measured either by your love or by your faith — but by the infinite love and strength in which you are trusting.

The first thing, is to get your relation with Christ clearly established. He loves you, and you receive His love. He would take your life as it is, with all its sins, faults, and shortcomings — as you put it into His hands. You need not understand it all; there is no reason why you should.

You believe that Christ has all power, all wisdom, and all love. His hands are safe hands, skillful hands, gentle hands, hands of love. He can take your soul, which sin has hurt and stained no matter how sorely — and restore it to beauty. Faith is the committing of the life to Him for salvation, for guidance, for care and keeping, for time and eternity.

You must receive Christ as your Savior and Lord. A Christian is one who follows Christ. This means the surrender of the whole life to Him. The heart must be given up. There can be no Christian life, without love to Jesus. Jesus demands the first place in the affections of His followers. If anyone loves father or mother, brother or sister, wife or child, more than Him — he is not worthy of Jesus, and cannot be His disciple.

Soldiers may obey implicitly without love; but the most perfect obedience, if the heart is not in it, would not make one a Christian. We might devote our life and strength to Christian work, toiling unwearied in the service of the church, giving our money lavishly for the advancement of Christianity or for the relief of suffering — and yet not be Christians. Love for Christ must be the motive at the heart of all our work for Christ. "Do you love Me?" is the test.

But the heart draws the whole life after it. If we love Jesus — we will obey Jesus "If you love Me — keep My commandments." "You are My friends — if you do whatever I command you." We cannot accept Christ as our Savior, and not at the same time accept Him as our Lord and Master. We must begin at once to obey Him; and our obedience must be without reserve, without condition, without question.

It must also be cheerful and gladhearted — not compulsory, reluctant, or constrained. Christians are

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