Raising Arrows

“Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are children born in one’s youth. Blessed in the man whose quiver is full of them.” Psalm 127:4-5a

Meurer is a columnist for New Man magazine and he addresses different issues concerning the family. In one article about parenting he wrote these words: “Child-development professionals categorize kids into two main groups: 1) Naturally compliant, intrinsically kind, inherently logical children, and 2) Your children.” He then went on to note, “All parents hope to get their children in category #1, but end up with the children from #2.

Parents, I want to ask you a simple, yet thought-provoking question. What should you want for your kids? What kind of children do you want to produce? If you could see the end from the beginning, what kind of an adult do you want your child to become? What kind of life do you want your child to lead?

As Christ followers, our greatest desire for our children should be that they love Jesus, love people, and live on mission for God’s Kingdom. There are a variety of specific dreams and goals that can be associated with these three things, but these are the three that we must parent toward. The stakes are eternally high in how we raise our kids; and we will never have all of the answers. Therefore, we must take our responsibility seriously and lean on the Lord for His wisdom and grace in the midst of our shortcomings.

Many Christian parents fail to understand that their children belong to God first. He has entrusted them to us to train up for His purposes and glory. Psalm 127 says that children are like arrows in the hand of a mighty warrior. Arrows are given to the warrior to launch into battle, not to sit safely in the quiver.

Dear Lord, I want my children to make an impact for your kingdom. Please give me the wisdom to teach them and train them so that they may launch into the world to make a difference for you. In Jesus' name, amen.