Thursday January 7, 2021.
Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,….
Hebrews 12: 1 (NASB)
There is no perfect home anywhere. I strongly doubt that there is! What makes me so sure? Well, my answer to that is simple; there are no perfect humans! So, if there are no perfect humans, then how can there be a perfect home and a perfect parenting?
However, we must be careful not to carry any baggage from our childhood into our adulthood, and allow it to define the kind of relationship we have with our children.
If we fail to drop the baggage we picked up from our childhood, we run the risk of focusing on just some aspects of the development of our children, ignoring other important aspects. We may also become very physically and emotionally stressed because we are bottling up our emotions due to fear not to act in a certain way just like our parents.
Bottom line is, you have to unpack all those baggages from your childhood. If you are going parent right, you have to travel light. Just be yourself!
Think & Act: If you are going to parent right, you have to travel light.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, let my past experiences not destroy my children and their future.
Amen!
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+2348189585529
Give Affection
“No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.”
Luke 16: 13 (NKJV)
Affection can be defined as a gentle feeling of fondness or liking. It is that feeling that makes it impossible for you to take your hand off your spouse, or take your eyes off your spouse. It is that makes you treat your wife as a queen or your husband as a king. Where affection is lacking, service becomes impossible!
Thus, we must do everything within our power to see that our affection towards our spouse is neither short nor divided. As our scripture reference puts it; you can’t serve two masters all at once, no man can show affection to two masters at the same time!
Not even our children, not even our jobs, businesses or careers, should share the affection we have for our spouse. It has to be a 100% affection at all time.
Make it a habit to hold the arms of your wife, make it a habit to tell your husband he is handsome. Hug your wife as often as possible, kiss and peck your spouse regularly.
These and similar things communicate affection and reaffirm love.
Think & Act: It has to be a 100% affection.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, fill me with love for my spouse.
Amen!
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+2348189585529
Appreciate Your Spouse
And so encourage one another and help one another, just as you are now doing.
1 Thessalonians 5: 11 (GNB)
Appreciation breeds encouragement. It is what we appreciate that we will see again and again.
Let us learn to appreciate even the “little” things our spouses do, or the “little” contributions they k towards the family, to keep the family running smoothly. Resist th temptation of taking your spouse for granted.
Pastor, should I appreciate my wife even when what she is doing or has done simply her duty? To such a question my answer is an emphatic YES!
Appreciate your wife for cooking dinner, probably it is her duty, appreciate her all the same! Appreciate your husband for paying the expired house rentage, I know it is his duty after all, appreciate him nonetheless!
When we appreciate our spouses, we encourage them to do more.
Think & Act: Resist the temptation of taking your spouse for granted.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, I thank you for the wonderful wife/husband you blessed me with. Teach me to appreciate this blessing.
Amen!
apostlepauldarlingtonsnr@gmail.com
+2348189585529
Have Expectations, Give Guidance
January 4, 2021.
Train up a child in the way he should go,
And when he is old he will not depart from it.
Proverbs 22: 6 (NKJV)
You may need to read the topic of today’s PARENTS BREAKFAST again, this time slowly; “Have Expectations, Give Guidance”. Does it make a little more sense to you? Let me try breaking it down.
Have expectations – Nothing is wrong with us having as parents. You child got admitted into the university for instance, there is nothing wrong with expecting that your child will graduate with a first class. However, it is best you keep your expectations to yourself. That is have it!
Listen, our children do not really need us to set a mark for them that they must hit, society and friends already have set several marks for them, (particularly if they are teenagers). So, let us own our expectations. Let us keep our expectations to ourselves. Our children already know we want them and we wish that they succeed.
There are two things we should rather do;
1. Give guidance – Do not just have expectations; what and how you want them to go, show them what and how to go. Coach them, train them.
2. Pray – The expectations of the righteous shall not be cut off (Proverbs 10: 24) is a promise clearly spelt out in scripture. This is very encouraging! Our expectations, hopes and aspirations for our children shall be granted! All we might just need to do is to take them to God in prayer.
Think & Act: …it is best you keep expectations to yourself.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, grant me my expectations and hopes over my children. Amen!
apostlepauldarlingtonsnr@gmail.com
+2348189585529
Share Your Stories
Sunday January 3, 2021.
So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.
1 Thessalonians 5: 11 (NLT)
I once had a neighbor who would always complain about his sons behavior. He sounded very sad that his son; a teen of about 13 or 14 at that time, was growing up into an irresponsible young man.
So, one evening when I was having a man-to-man chit chat with him, he began to narrate to me what he’s been through in life, how he began to fend for himself at a very tender age, doing menial jobs and similar stuffs.
I was so inspired and moved by his story. At a point, I asked him; “sir, have you ever shared these stories with your son?” His answer was in the negative! I encouraged him to try and share these stories with his son. I told him that doing so could make his son behave more responsibly. He promised me he would.
The same encouragement and piece of advice I gave to that neighbor, I give to you reading this today.
Stories of what you have been through could be just be what that your dissenting son or daughter needs. Such stories have the capacity to encourage and build your child up.
Let me sound a note of warning; make sure you are sincere, make sure the story you share is not filled with lies and half truths. Your child will see through it.
Think & Act: …such stories have the capacity to encourage and build your child up.
Prayer: In the name of Jesus, I receive grace to be honest and sincere with my children. Amen!
apostlepauldarlingtonsnr@gmail.com
+2348189585529
Do Not Make Life Easy For Your Children!
Even when I walk
through the darkest valley,
I will not be afraid,
for you are close beside me.
Your rod and your staff
protect and comfort me.
Psalm 23: 4 (NLT)
Life is not easy! Everyone who is old enough to know this fact knows it! Hence, trying to make life easy for our children is simply putting our children in a bubble of some sort.
Making life easy for our children is not part of our duty. Yes you read right! Infact, it is a trap and many parents sadly fall into this trap.
Do not exempt your children from chores.
Do not meet their every demand.
Do not grant their every request.
Someone once said smooth seas do not make experienced sailors! Our children may not learn to take responsibility if we provide everything for them, they may never develop self belief if we do everything for them.
Allow them walk through the valley of the shadow of death, only provide comfort.
Think & Act: Making life easy for our children is not part of our duty.
Prayer: In the name of Jesus, I receive grace to raise responsible children. Amen!
apostlepauldarlingtonsnr@gmail.com
(+234)8189585529
Let Your Children Discover Themselves
January 1, 2021.
Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them:
Roman 12: 6a (NKJV)
It is good to tell children who they are, but it is best to let our children discover themselves.
Allowing our children discover by themselves who is one of the best things we can do for our children. Sadly must parents miss this.
Our children may look like us, or course basic biology explains why. However, no matter how striking out resemblance with our children might be, we should never lose sight of the fact that our children are not us!
Our scripture reference today makes that much clear; they have gifts and talents that are different from ours and unique to them, given to to them by God. Let me make something a little bit clearer at this point; you could be a musician and also give birth to a child who is gifted in music, but if you pay attention you will see that that child definitely has a unique trait as regards his or her musical abilities.
So, we as parents must realize that our children are unique and we must be willing to play our role of providing parental guidance that will help them recognize their unique interests and talents, while providing the needed parental motivation and support for them to help them pursue those interests and build up those talents.
Think & Act
… it is best to let children discover themselves.
Prayer
In the name of Jesus, my children will fulfill purpose. In the name of Jesus, I receive grace to guide, motivate and support my children to fulfill purpose. Amen!
apostlepauldarlingtonsnr@gmail.com
+2348189585529
Don’t Lose Hope
December 9, 2020.
For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.
Jeremiah 29: 11 (NLT)
It is not difficult to find a parent who has given up completely. Even right now it is possible you a parent who feels utterly ashamed and defeated!
The word of God today is for such parents! God says to tell you; DON’T LOSE HOPE! If you are such a parent reading this now, I want to tell you all hope is not lost, there is a brighter future ahead.
You may have given parenting your “best shot”, but nothing seems to be working, your children may be turning out not how you expected, your son might be neck deep into drugs right now, you daughter may have gotten pregnant out of wedlock, may be she has even eloped with the young man who got her pregnant, right now you don’t even know where she is! Or your child may not even want to see you or talk to you.
No doubt all of these can be really depressing and discouraging. However, I urge you not to lose hope, God is not done with you and your family.
For s change, instead if hurting and being all downcast, why not begin to thank God! Grab a sit, a pen and paper today and make a list of things about your family to be thankful to God about, there has to be something!
After you have that list, begin to thank God about everything in that list. If you can do this, you will feel the strength of God surge through you and you will see hope in the midst of that seeming hopelessness.
Think & Act
…God is not done with you and your family!
Prayer
Heavenly Father, I thank you for the good plans you have for my family, thank you for your power working in our lives, thank you for your blessings. Amen!
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apostlepauldarlingtonsnr@gmail.com
TEACH YOUR CHILDREN HOW TO RELATE WITH GOD
Train up a child in the way he should go,
And when he is old he will not depart from it.
Proverbs 22: 6 (NKJV)
If there is any relationship we want to teach our children to cultivate, it is a relationship with God.
Now the question arises; do you have a relationship with God yourself? Truth is until we have a relationship with God, we can’t help or teach our children to develop a relationship with God!
A relationship with God will give our children the needed strength and stability to go through life.
=> Pray with your children.
=> Read God’s word to your children.
=> Take your children with you to church.
=> Model for them how to relate with God
Doing these little things consistently will help your children develop a relationship with God!
Think & Act: …until we have a relationship with God, we can’t help or teach our children to develop a relationship with God.
Prayer: In the name of Jesus I declare, my children shall know God, my children shall walk with God, my children shall live for God.
Amen!
+2348189585529
apostlepauldarlingtonsnr@gmail.com
Let Down The Unnecessary Shields
October 5, 2020.
Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou wilt revive me: thou shalt stretch forth thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies, and thy right hand shall save me.
Psalms – Chapter 138:7 (KJV)
Instinctively as parents, we are given to protect and shield our children from danger, we don’t want to see them hurt or cry. Thus, we tend to get out of our way to shield and protect them.
But what if I told you a little hurting will do them some good? What if I told you they will learn a thing or two as they shed those tears? Surely this is the truth!
Our duty as parents is not to stop our children from making mistakes. No doubt, we should protect our children from danger, but we must allow our children make mistakes.
A popular adage says; “experience is the best teacher”. This saying holds some truth for us as parents and our children too. There are certain things our children can learn only through experience or trial and error and from mistakes.
Therefore, our duty as parents is not to prevent our children from walking in the midst of trouble, but to provide guidance for them while they walk.
THINK & ACT
There are certain things our children can learn only through experience….
PRAYER/CONFESSION
Heavenly Father, let my children’s mistakes not destroy them, let them learn and develop from them in Jesus name.
Amen!
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apostlepauldarlingtonsnr@gmail.com
Parents Breakfast Devotional 