Be Your Children's GPS

Written By: Esther Soon

Translated by: Tan Chien Chin

The modern generation is very dependent on the Global Positioning System (GPS). If you want to go somewhere, just enter the destination and the GPS will lead and guide you accurately. If you have an appointment with your friend at a place you’ve never been, don't worry about getting lost as long as you have a GPS; you will definitely be able to reach the destination and meet your friend. Likewise for our children in their whole lifetime, wouldn’t they need someone trustworthy to be their GPS leading them to eternal life?

Hannah had no children, so she was often teased by another wife of Elkanah. Hannah was very upset. Once, she followed her husband to Shiloh, God's tabernacle for a festive celebration and offering. Hannah was praying to God at the tabernacle, pleading to God to grant her a son, and if God answered her prayer, she would dedicate her son to God. Indeed God answered her prayer and granted her a child. She named him Samuel. After Samuel was weaned, Hannah sent him to God’s tabernacle to serve God. Little Samuel started serving God in the tabernacle at a young age and followed the high priest Eli to handle everything in the tabernacle. During such time, Samuel had yet to know God (1 Samuel 3: 7). Eli was the high priest then, and his two sons were also priests, but the Bible says, “they knew not the Lord,” (1 Samuel 2: 12). Although his two sons were priests, they despised God and treated God’s offering with contempt. They also fooled around with the women serving in the tabernacle. At that time, God had rarely revealed Himself to Eli, and God was displeased with his two sons.

One day, God called Samuel. Samuel thought Eli was calling him, so he ran to Eli. Eli denied calling him and asked him to go back to sleep. God called Samuel the second time. Samuel thought it was Eli and went to Eli again. Eli denied again and told him to go back to sleep. God called Samuel the third time, and Samuel went to Eli again. This time, Eli realized that it was God who called Samuel. He told Samuel if you hear the voice again, respond with, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.” Then, when God called Samuel again, he responded to God as guided by Eli.

Eli, as a father, had the responsibility of guiding his sons to know God. Unfortunately, the Bible says, they do not know God, and even do things that despise God. As a result, God punished Eli and his two sons. The Bible also mentioned that Samuel did not know God yet; it refers to a state before God revealed Himself to Samuel. Samuel has been serving God in the tabernacle since his young age, so he must have known that this God is the God who listens to his mother's prayers. He also knows that God speaks to Eli. Although he knows about Jehovah God, he has yet to build a direct personal relationship with God. Therefore, when God called him in the first three times, he did not know that it was God who had called him. Eli played a key role here. When he realized that God may be the one calling Samuel, he taught Samuel how to respond to God's calling. When God called Samuel again, Samuel responded as he was told. From then on, God made Samuel a prophet and often spoke to people through Samuel. God also anointed two kings of Israel through Samuel's hand. Samuel became God's valued servant.

As parents, we have the responsibility to guide our children to know God. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” (Proverbs 9:10) Children need to know God and learn to fear God. One who does not know and fear God is very dangerous as he might have devastating behaviour. Just like the two sons of Eli, they had no wisdom, no intelligence, and paid a painful price for their foolish behaviour. “Now this is eternal life: that they know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent.” (John 17:3) Knowing the true and only God and Jesus Christ is the most important lesson in life. What is more important than eternal life? Unless we only care about the current life and focus on short term things in life, else parents must be concerned about whether their children walk in the path of eternal life.

Young children are passive and are dependent on their parents to guide them. If you give him a book, he will learn to read. If you give him a paper and a pencil, he will learn to draw. If you let him play on a piano, he will learn to love music. If you give him a phone or an iPad, he will learn to scroll the screen, surf the internet to watch YouTube and play games. It all depends on how you guide your children as parents.

We need to guide our children to listen to the voice of God. Although Eli had no idea how to teach his children, at least he told Samuel that it was God’s voice, and God wanted to speak to him. Eli taught little Samuel to listen to God’s words with a humble heart. Without Eli’s guidance, how could little Samuel understand that God was calling him? The world is full of various voices, and these voices are often not in line with God’s will. We are living in a very depraved world, and the world is against God. Therefore, the values of the world often contradict biblical values. It is important to guide your children to listen to God’s voice, study the word of God, and help them to build a solid foundation of faith. By doing this, they will not lose their direction and be confused by the world. They will be able to find the right direction in this depraved world.

What are the requirements that must be possessed by parents to guide their children? Let us look at the relationship between Eli and God. His relationship with God was slowly alienating and no longer intimate. We can tell from a few points. God had rarely spoken to him, and Eli loved his sons more than God. As a spiritual leader, Eli should be sensitive about God's actions, but he couldn't immediately identify that it was God who called Samuel. He only realized it by the third calling. We can call this as spiritual lethargy, which is not about not knowing God completely, but is not sensitive. If one day, God calls your child to do something for the kingdom of God, will you be in a spiritual lethargy state like Eli? Parents need to maintain an intimate relationship with God at all times and understand God's word and His will so that they can lead their children correctly. Otherwise, we can only rely on feelings to look for direction, just like a blind man leading the way yet does not know how to move forward. If your navigation system is well-connected with God, you will be a competent guide.

Let’s hope that we can be a GPS for our children, and lead them to God accurately.