FRIENDSHIP SERIES- PART 3 CHILDREN’S FRIENDS: ROLES OF PARENTS AND GUARDIANS

The Bible says train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it. (Proverb 22:6). Parents are light to the path of the children. They have a plain heart that parents can successfully inscribe and impact on. Parents have great roles to play in the journey of their children in life. May God grant us as parents the wisdom to guide our children aright in Jesus name. (Amen)

The following are few guidelines that can help parents to support their children in choosing friends:

• The first thing is to hand over these children to the hand of their creator, this starts from the point of conception and subsequently as required. When you do this, He will surely guide them aright. Parents can continue to rededicate their children as led by the Holy Spirit through prayers.
• Prayerfully direct the affairs of your children in their friendship, tell God to send genuinely God fearing people to their path, He is their creator, He will.
• Be the first to preach salvation to your Children. Don’t wait for pastors or those that can skillfully cajole them away under the pretense of Christianity. The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom
• Make these children your first friends, apply wisdom in dealing with them, give them freedom and encourage them to open up their fears and worries to you as parents. When they are closer, they see you as the angel sent from God to guide their paths. This gives you as a parent the great privilege to correct errors easily as they always confirm the information gotten outside from you at home.
• Do a follow up on their affairs in school in a friendly manner. Let it be a habit from when they are in nursery school and thereafter. When they notice, they caution what they do, as they know you can catch them unawares.
• Know their friends, encourage them to bring the friend home, not to criticize them but with the wisdom of God, prayers and advice from the word of God, you can detach them from any bad friend you observe around them.
• Do what you preach to them, children learn more by observation, than by instruction. It will be very difficult for parents to help guide their children when parents frown against fornication for children but are into adultery and so many other immoral practices.
• Ask God for wisdom to train them according to their age, because each age as they grow comes with its challenges.
• Give them sex education and lectures on friendship at home. The features of good and bad friends should be made known to them. This will help them to identify lapses and avoid or possibly correct mistakes.
• Don’t leave them at the mercy of neighbors and relatives. Corruption multiplies everyday and you cannot predict anyone in this perilous time.

May God help parents to train children aright according to the will of God in Jesus name. Good friendship and child training cannot be possible without Jesus in the boat of our lives. Accept Him into your life as He keeps knocking and if He is already in your life, give Him authority to guide you aright. We will fulfill our destinies and it shall be well with us and our children in Jesus name. Amen.