In Luke 19:11-27, we are encouraged to be profitable with what God gives us while He is away. This is something I have had to learn on a few different levels.
When I was a first time parent, like many parents, I was very interested in helping my child to learn colors, numbers, letters, and while I was committed to encouraging my child’s faith I really didn’t have a particular way of going about doing that. I thought that encouraging their faith meant teaching them about God and making sure they were obedient and got to church on Sunday.
As my children grew older and in number, I began to realize that my words would only go so far. I could tell them that they needed to be kind their sisters, but I couldn’t help notice that when I acted kind to them, they would act kinder to each other. There was more than one time when I found myself yelling at them to stop yelling at each other, silly now that I look back (sad really), but I simply wasn’t recognizing that my actions were teaching them differently than my words, like many parents.
Fortunately for my family, God answered my prayers for wisdom and showed me the sin in my life. God showed me that He has given me gifts (Psalm 127:3-4) and these gifts are nothing other than His precious children whom He has asked me to take care of while He is gone. If I want my children to value God’s word, I need to put God’s Word at the center of my personal and family’s life. If I want my children to turn to God in prayer, I need to turn to God in prayer frequently in front of them. If I want my children to have a worshipful heart, I must have a humble spirit that recognizes the life God saved me from and daily worship before Him.
When I think about how merciful God has been that He opened my eyes to what my role as a father really is, when I think about how my life would have been filled with regret and sorrow if God hadn’t showed me what a true disciple looks like to his family, I can do nothing but be on my knees praising Him for the mercy He has shown me and my family.
So I eagerly gather my children together in the morning and teach them Biblical truths and eagerly gather the family in the evening for worship, Bible reading, memorizing Scripture, and prayer.
I am committed to being profitable with the gifts God has given me. I am committed to not only gather them together, but to pour my life into them as an example of Christ in their lives. As I strain toward the goal of perfection, even though I haven’t obtained it, I willingly ask my children to likewise imitate me. If my children do the same for their children, and God mercifully adopts them, in twelve generations I will have a million children profiting the Kingdom of God.
