As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth.
Psalm 127:4
We were in the midst of family devotions. For several weeks we had been studying from the book of Titus. There is so much good to glean from these passages as we consider our Christian walk, but on this particular night that just wasn’t happening.
The three-year-old was having trouble sitting still. The seven-year-old had an unexplainable case of giggles that was apparently contagious. For whatever reason, the children just were not focused on the Bible study.
My husband stopped abruptly and changed gears to something he knew would get their attention—target practice. That very day a couple of the boys had purchased new arrows. They love to hunt, and they love to practice.
So my husband began to explain how each one of them is like an arrow. We as their parents take aim, and we have a very specific goal in mind. That target is that they will continue to walk with God and serve Him long after they have left our home.
He explained that the purpose of our family devotions is to help them recognize the importance of God’s Word and of living it. Then he asked a pointed question. “What would happen to your arrow if you just shot without aiming?”
Oddly enough it was the six-year-old who came up with an immediate answer.
“It either gets lost or broken.”
It was spoken so literally, but he didn’t understand the great spiritual truth he had hit upon.
Yes, our children are our arrows, and we have such an important target. Adulthood is approaching quickly for some of them, and regularly we have to evaluate what we are doing to help them reach the goal God has established for them. While God ultimately must work in each of their hearts, and they must decide if they’ll live for Him or not, it is my heart’s prayer that each one will reach the target whole.
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That was the most beautiful illustration of Christian parenting. Thank you for sharing.