No Pressure
by Bro. Shaun Ogdie
09/28/2023
Deuteronomy 11:19 – “And ye shall teach them your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.”
Deuteronomy 11:1 says, “Therefore thou shalt love the LORD thy God, and keep his charge, and his statutes, and his judgments, and his commandments, alway.” In verse 19, we are instructed to teach our children these commandments. In fact, not only are we to teach them, but Moses is instructing us to teach them day, night, sitting, standing, etc.
Nothing in life can prepare a dad, raised around only brothers, to be the father of three daughters. Let’s just say that “on-the-job training” has been my success story. I know how to gut a deer. I know how to shoot a gun. I know how to fix my truck. I know nothing (Praise the Lord) about dresses, makeup, and EMOTIONS, just to name a few. Kelli has definitely helped me along the way as an outstanding mother to our children.
I will say though, I do know the Word of God and how to teach it to any child. This is my number one duty as a Godly parent. My kids have thrived in many different areas. All three of them have been heavily involved in sports. Each of them has their own unique skills. However, shame on Kelli and me if all that can be said about our daughters is how hard they can hit or spike a ball. Our number one goal in life has been to raise three Godly daughters and to prepare them for God’s will in their life.
Fifteen years ago, when I was a Youth Pastor, I had several parents who would always tell me, “Bro. Shaun, we don’t want to add any pressure to our children.” It’s crazy to think that some people look at serving the Lord, whether as a layman or as a full-time Christian worker, as pressure. The world today is applying all the pressure it possibly can whether you see it or not. However, not training your child “...in the nurture and admonition of the Lord” (Eph. 6:4) is like having them lift weights to get stronger but never adding any weights to the bar.
We must strengthen our children with the Word of God. We teach them how to love the Lord; we must teach them how to keep his commandments. Proverbs 22:15 says, “Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child…”.
Now if you’re talking about a two-year-old, every one of us would say “Amen.” Why is it that when they become teenagers, we think they have arrived? We must continue to train them even as teenagers.
I googled it the other day. Did you know it is still legal in the United States to tell a teenager no? Try it sometime. Find something that you always say yes to and just one time say no. In that moment, you will find the heart of your child/teenager.
Stop looking at the Lord’s work as pressure and start looking at it as protection.
1. Protection from Ignorance
Proverbs 29:15 - “The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame.”
2. Protection from Satan
Proverbs 19:18 - “Chasten thy son while there is hope, and let not thy soul spare for his crying.” You have two options in life for your child. The Lord or the world. If the Lord does not have their heart, Satan will.
3. Protection from Quitting
Proverbs 22:6 - “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”
Our children are a loan from our Heavenly Father. Psalm 127:3 – “Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.” We will all, as parents, give an account one day for how we give them back to the Lord.
09/28/2023
Deuteronomy 11:19 – “And ye shall teach them your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.”
Deuteronomy 11:1 says, “Therefore thou shalt love the LORD thy God, and keep his charge, and his statutes, and his judgments, and his commandments, alway.” In verse 19, we are instructed to teach our children these commandments. In fact, not only are we to teach them, but Moses is instructing us to teach them day, night, sitting, standing, etc.
Nothing in life can prepare a dad, raised around only brothers, to be the father of three daughters. Let’s just say that “on-the-job training” has been my success story. I know how to gut a deer. I know how to shoot a gun. I know how to fix my truck. I know nothing (Praise the Lord) about dresses, makeup, and EMOTIONS, just to name a few. Kelli has definitely helped me along the way as an outstanding mother to our children.
I will say though, I do know the Word of God and how to teach it to any child. This is my number one duty as a Godly parent. My kids have thrived in many different areas. All three of them have been heavily involved in sports. Each of them has their own unique skills. However, shame on Kelli and me if all that can be said about our daughters is how hard they can hit or spike a ball. Our number one goal in life has been to raise three Godly daughters and to prepare them for God’s will in their life.
Fifteen years ago, when I was a Youth Pastor, I had several parents who would always tell me, “Bro. Shaun, we don’t want to add any pressure to our children.” It’s crazy to think that some people look at serving the Lord, whether as a layman or as a full-time Christian worker, as pressure. The world today is applying all the pressure it possibly can whether you see it or not. However, not training your child “...in the nurture and admonition of the Lord” (Eph. 6:4) is like having them lift weights to get stronger but never adding any weights to the bar.
We must strengthen our children with the Word of God. We teach them how to love the Lord; we must teach them how to keep his commandments. Proverbs 22:15 says, “Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child…”.
Now if you’re talking about a two-year-old, every one of us would say “Amen.” Why is it that when they become teenagers, we think they have arrived? We must continue to train them even as teenagers.
I googled it the other day. Did you know it is still legal in the United States to tell a teenager no? Try it sometime. Find something that you always say yes to and just one time say no. In that moment, you will find the heart of your child/teenager.
Stop looking at the Lord’s work as pressure and start looking at it as protection.
1. Protection from Ignorance
Proverbs 29:15 - “The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame.”
2. Protection from Satan
Proverbs 19:18 - “Chasten thy son while there is hope, and let not thy soul spare for his crying.” You have two options in life for your child. The Lord or the world. If the Lord does not have their heart, Satan will.
3. Protection from Quitting
Proverbs 22:6 - “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”
Our children are a loan from our Heavenly Father. Psalm 127:3 – “Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.” We will all, as parents, give an account one day for how we give them back to the Lord.
Posted in Living for God
Posted in Deuteronomy 11, children, Word of God, goal, God\'s will, pressure, protection
Posted in Deuteronomy 11, children, Word of God, goal, God\'s will, pressure, protection
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