Psalm 127:3 reminds us that children are a gift from the Lord, but with these gifts come awesome responsibilities.

We, as parents, are given the task of raising children to be God-fearing and Jesus-serving individuals.

He emphasizes this in Proverbs 22:6 where it states, "Train up a child in the way he should go."

How is this done? First, we must be good examples before them. In other words, we must practice what we preach; we must be God-fearing and Jesus-serving ourselves.

We must be able to say as the Apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 11:1, "Follow me as I follow Christ."

Also we must teach them the ways of God found in scripture. Deuteronomy reveals this truth when God’s people were instructed to "Impress them (these commandments) on your children." This should be done at home, but also should be supported through a local church.

We are also responsible to provide discipline.

Proverbs 23:13 warns us by saying, "Do not withhold discipline from a child" but the scripture also instructs us to not be harsh or unfair lest we discourage them.

Colossians 3:21 says not to "embitter your children or they will become discouraged."

Then, the Bible tells us that it is important to be involved in the lives of our kids. In Proverbs 29:15 we are told that "a child left to himself disgraces his mother."

In our busy world, it’s easy to neglect time with our kids, which to them means more than anything we could buy them in all the world. If they are not communicating with us, they will find someone who will spend time with them, and it might not be the right influence.

May God help us to fulfill the task well that he has given us, and may he and our children forgive us in areas where we have failed.