"A FATHER COSTLIEST MISTAKE" - walkingbyfaith.com.ng

In this massage I wish to emphasize a well known fact that every call to duty comes with a responsibility. And with every

responsibility comes the need for commitment and diligence since anything to the contrary would be very costly and may

lead to disappointment and regret, hence the theme “A FATHER’S COSTLIST MISTAKE.” (Luke 2: 42-46). Our emphasis is on the father’s God-given and irreplaceable

role of rising godly and responsibly children. We hope to remind and charge every father and all men that the responsibility of raising

God fearing children does not give any room for nonchalance, procrastinating, or unfounded assumptions.

At any stage in the life of our children a father must understand the spiritual, physical, social and other needs of our children and be knowledgeable enough, able, and willing to service such needs.

In Luke 2:42-46 from where we chose our theme, we read as the Holy Family joins the rest of the Jewish community in the

performance of religion obligations – participation in the feast of Passover. The stages of Jewish childhood were marked as

follows: at three the boy was weaned, and wore for the first time the fringed or tasseled garment prescribed education began, at first under the mother’s care. At

five he was to leer the law, at first by exacts written on scrolls of the more important passages, the creed of Deuteronomy 2:4, the festival psalms (psalms 114:118). And by

catechetical teaching in school. At the age of twelve, every Jewish boy was styled a son “a son of the law,” or “a son of the commandment “being put under a course of

instruction and trained to fasting and attendance on public worship, besides directly responsible for his obedience to the law, and on the day when he attained the

age of thirteen, he would put on for the first time phylacteries which were worn at the recital of his daily prayer. Though males only

were to required to go to Jerusalem at the annual festivals (Exodus 23:14-17), devout women, when family duties permitted, went also, as did Hannah (1 Samuel 1:7), and, as we here see, the mother of Jesus. Through

our Lord Jesus so God, but having been born of a woman, he enjoyed the care and all that go with having earthly parents. On their own part, Joseph and Mary were

conscious of their responsibility as “parents” to the boy Jesus. So they took him with them to Jerusalem when it was required of them to do so.

At this point I will like for us parents to pause a little and consider all that are required of us to do enhance the godly

disposition of our children at their earthly stages of life. Those of us whose children are grown, how much did they know of the lord before they left home? How much did

they virtues of hard work, patience, honest, faithfulness, and sincerity. Did daddy instill in them that they can propel them to

becoming God fearing and responsible? Are we not regretting our inability to catch them young for the Lord when we had the opportunity? Have we not made the mistake that has now turned out to be very costly? I

heard some of us complain that when our children leave the home, they hardly continue as dedicated christians. In as much as there may be other factors that contribute to this, I will like for parents who find themselves in this situation to honestly recollect how much these children were before they left home. Were they confirmed when they were supposed to; or were they

too busy to get involves in the youth activities and programs of the churches? Joseph and Mary knew that only reminding Jesus that he was a Jew and may be taking

him it the synagogue weren’t enough. They made sure that he was actively involves in every stage of his religions obligation physically and freely.

How about those of us whose children are still at home; how much godliness are we instilling in them? Do we think that putting

them in the best schools in town, and providing them with the latest technological gadgets will make them responsible and Godly? Now is the time to catch them young

and seal them for eternal success in life with the uncompromised and undrilled words of God as presented by the Christian teaching, and tenets. For all parents with a

child at home, we urge you to save yourself the costly mistake that may lead to disappointments and regrets by making sure you child is diligently involved in the

activities and programs of the church. DO NOT LET THEM MISS ANY TUTORING MEANT FOR THEM AT ANY STAGE OF THEIR LIFE.

Have you ever heard the saying that “pastors’ children are wayward.”? Is this supposed to be so? Of course not. So why? It’s just majorly because of the mistake of assumption.

Many pastors assume that since their children were born in the parsonages and are made to go to church service regularly, they will become godly automatically. Well,

we now know that’s not the case. Also some pastors and other prominent church leaders assume that their positions are enough to make their children become godly forgetting

that our children will need to see the life we live match the offices and tittles we carry for them to believe in and follow our religious ideologies.

AT THIS POINT IT IS NECESSARY TO REMIND EVERY FATHER THAT AS THE PRIST OF YOUR HOME, IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO CONSCIOUSLUY PLAN FOR, GUIDE AND SUPERVISE THE PROCESS

THROUGH WHICH EVERY CHILD OF YOURS GIVES HIS LIFE TO CHRIST AS LORD AND PERSONAL SAVIOUR, MOST PREFERABLY, BEFORE THEY LEAVE THE HOME. Any thing short of this will be making a very costly

mistake. Interesting turn of events. As we read “and when they had fulfilled the days of they returned, the child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem; and Joseph and his mother knew not of it. But they, supposing him to

have been in the company, went a day’s journey; and they sought him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance. And when they found him not, they turned back again to

Jerusalem, seeking him. And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions. “(Luke 2:43-46 KJV). What

an interesting turn. That the parents who understood the important of directing their son to where and what he should be and doing will not monitor what he is doing that.

They only assumed. I don’t think Joseph mistake began when the feast was over; rather I think it began when they got there and during the ceremony. Once they got

there, he left the boy to find his way. I say this because if he knew where the boy was all through the ceremony. He would have known where to look for him when it was over. What a costly mistake.

What a mistake of assumption when a father shows the children the way to the church, enrolls them into the appropriate

arms of the church without monitoring their involvement and participation in the programs and activities of these arms. Fathers, it is not enough to say “after all they are in the youth ministry, they are in the

choir, band, etc. we must monitor and be sure they are really participating actively and meaningfully. We must also assess how the involvement in these programs is affecting their daily living.

IT WILL BE A FAILURE AND COSTLY MISTAKE EACH TIME A FATHER CANNOT ASCERTAIN THE SPIRITUAL TEMPERATURE OF THEIR CHILDREN. WE MUST NOT

ASSUME BUT MAKE SURE WE KNOW. How about the social; inclination of our children? Joseph assumed that boy Jesus was in the crowd. For twelve years he was unable to

know whether his son was the type that could leave for such a journey without his parents or not. He paid for such mistake. As a father what kind of social life does that your child lead? Who are his/her friends? What type of music interests him/her? How much do you know about your children? Poor or lack of good understanding of our children’s social life is a mistake that can be very costly.

How about father who only know their children are in school without knowing where? How about those who know where

but can’t tell what programs they are doing and for how long? Parents who make such mistakes should not be surprised when some law enforcement agencies come

knocking at their doors with some distressful news. We must remember that a youthful life that is not monitored may become a disaster to those who fails to monitor it. Joseph had to spend three to five

days, with the stress of uncertainly coupled with the labor of a repeat journey to correct a mistake that shouldn’t have been made in the first place. In this case, Joseph was

fortunate to find his son well. It might not be so for everyone. In our days, and circumstances his son could have been kidnapped, injured, or even killed.

As we conclude this massage, I urge all fathers and all men to never lose sight or make light of our God-given responsibility as

the priest of our homes and primary hide for our children. We charge every father and all men that the responsibility of raising God fearing children does not give any room for nonchalance, procrastination, or unfound assumptions. At any stage in the life of our

children a father must understand the spiritual, physical, social and other needs of our children to services such needs. We

must be discharging our duties as fathers. We must know that, on our own we are eternal values and consequence. Failure to succeeds as father may result to situation that’s may ruin our hope of joy in this life and for eternity.

Therefore, every father anchors his whole life on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. Surrounding to Christ as the only lord and personal savior is not option but a must for every who wishes to avoid making such mistake’s that may be eternally costly.

Shalom….