THINGS THAT MAKE A SUCCESSFUL PARENT
THINGS THAT MAKE A SUCCESSFUL PARENT
By Bisi Adewale
What yardstick would you use to measure your level of success as a parent? Is it when your children graduate from the university? When they get married, when they travel abroad, when they buy cars for themselves or when they build their own houses?
While all these are good for us and our children, they are not the true measurements of successful parenting. The question is, how can we describe a truly successful parent? A successful parent is a parent whose children are successful in the following ways:
— The Children are Genuinely Born Again. The parents of a child who fears the Lord and serves the Almighty are truly successful. You can never be said to be a successful parent if your children do not know the Lord, or if they live in sin and immorality.
Until your children grow up in the Lord and are doing fine in the way of righteousness, never count yourself a parent of honour. This is why you need to work on the genuine conversion of your children. Pray about it, be desperate to have them serving the Lord, let it be your hunger. Let it be your thirst. No matter what height your children attain, if they don’t know the Lord, they are not successful neither are you. “The father of the righteous shall greatly rejoice: and he that begetteth a wise child shall have joy of him.” (Proverbs 23:24)
— The Children are Heaven Bound. The children should not only know the Lord but they should be heaven conscious. Unless your children are seeking first the kingdom of God, every other thing they gather does not matter to the Almighty.
If Christ should come today, how many of your children will make heaven? Has this ever bothered you? If it has never bothered you, then you are not being fair to your children, the kingdom of God and the Saviour who shed His blood for them. Divert the attention of your children to honour, harvest their souls for the kingdom, allow God to score 100% in your home. None of your children should miss the kingdom of God. Stand in the gap and make sure your family does not produce any candidate of hell.
— The Children are Able to Stand on their Own. Until your children are able to stand on their own and make a living for themselves you are not yet a success. No child should rely on you after his or her wedding no matter how rich you are as parents. Do everything to see that your children can adequately cater for their families. It is a curse for children to depend on their parents for sustenance after getting married.
— Their Children are Blessings to the Society. For you to be a successful parent your children must be a plus to the society and they must add value to life. They must be producers not just consumers. They must be above their equals in their endeavours.
— Their Children are of Impeccable Character. Children with integrity and credibility are the true children; they are like crowns on the heads of their parents.
“A wise son maketh a glad father: but a foolish man despiseth his mother” Proverbs 15:20.
You must work on your children and train them to be of godly character. You must not raise criminals in your house, but leaders of tomorrow; proper children, godly and faithful children.
A child who smokes, drinks, womanises, fights on the street, abuses drugs is a disgrace to the parent, the church, and to the Lord.
— Children are Useful to God. You are not yet a successful parent until your children are useful to the Lord, at work, at home, and everywhere. You cannot become a successful parent if your children are not serving the Lord.
