Parenting with Purpose: Put God First - Living Free - August 25
Parenting with Purpose: Put God First
Living Free Every Day®
A ministry of LivingFree.org
Scripture
“You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.
Exodus 20:4-6 NIV
Thoughts for the Day
Parents spend a great deal of time thinking about what they want for their children. We want them to be healthy, successful, responsible, secure, and happy. But one of the greatest gifts we can give them is something they cannot buy, earn, or achieve—a living example of what it means to put God first.
Our children learn what is important by watching where we place our attention, time, energy, and trust. We may tell them that God is our highest priority, but our choices reveal whether that is actually true.
Anything can begin to take God's place in our lives. Success, possessions, relationships, work, entertainment, and even our children can become more important than our relationship with Him.
Exodus reminds us that God desires first place. The passage also points beyond one generation. The choices we make today can influence our children and even generations that follow.
A godly legacy does not begin with perfect parents. It begins with parents who continually return their hearts to God. When children see us worship, pray, seek Scripture, admit our failures, and trust God during difficulties, faith becomes more than something we talk about. They see it lived before them.
Consider This . . .
What would your children say is most important to you based solely on the way you live? Think about where your time, attention, and emotional energy are going. Is anything competing with the place that belongs to God? Ask Him to reveal any priority that needs to be reordered. Putting God first does not mean ignoring your family—it means loving and leading your family from a life that is centered on Him. The example you establish today can influence generations you may never see.
Prayer
Lord, help us keep You first in our hearts and homes. Show us anything that has taken a place that belongs to You. May our children see genuine faith in the way we live and learn through our example to love, trust, and follow You.
In Jesus’ name…
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