CAC LIVING WATER DEVOTIONAL - ARE YOU A PERMISSIVE PARENT?

LIVING WATER DAILY DEVOTIONAL

ARE YOU A PERMISSIVE PARENT?

4^TH , JUNE 2022

- International Day of innocent Children Victims of Aggression.

EXTRA READING FOR TODAY: Job 16-19

READ: 1 Samuel 2:22-36

[22]Now Eli was very old, and heard all that his sons did unto all Israel; and how they lay with the women that assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
[23]And he said unto them, Why do ye such things? for I hear of your evil dealings by all this people.
[24]Nay, my sons; for it is no good report that I hear: ye make the LORD'S people to transgress.
[25]If one man sin against another, the judge shall judge him: but if a man sin against the LORD, who shall intreat for him? Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto the voice of their father, because the LORD would slay them.
[26]And the child Samuel grew on, and was in favour both with the LORD, and also with men.
[27]And there came a man of God unto Eli, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Did I plainly appear unto the house of thy father, when they were in Egypt in Pharaoh's house?
[28]And did I choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to offer upon mine altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod before me? and did I give unto the house of thy father all the offerings made by fire of the children of Israel?
[29]Wherefore kick ye at my sacrifice and at mine offering, which I have commanded in my habitation; and honourest thy sons above me, to make yourselves fat with the chiefest of all the offerings of Israel my people?
[30]Wherefore the LORD God of Israel saith, I said indeed that thy house, and the house of thy father, should walk before me for ever: but now the LORD saith, Be it far from me; for them that honour me I will honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed.
[31]Behold, the days come, that I will cut off thine arm, and the arm of thy father's house, that there shall not be an old man in thine house.
[32]And thou shalt see an enemy in my habitation, in all the wealth which God shall give Israel: and there shall not be an old man in thine house for ever.
[33]And the man of thine, whom I shall not cut off from mine altar, shall be to consume thine eyes, and to grieve thine heart: and all the increase of thine house shall die in the flower of their age.
[34]And this shall be a sign unto thee, that shall come upon thy two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas; in one day they shall die both of them.
[35]And I will raise me up a faithful priest, that shall do according to that which is in mine heart and in my mind: and I will build him a sure house; and he shall walk before mine anointed for ever.
[36]And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left in thine house shall come and crouch to him for a piece of silver and a morsel of bread, and shall say, Put me, I pray thee, into one of the priests' offices, that I may eat a piece of bread.

ALSO READ: DEEPER LIFE DAILY MANNA FOR TODAY

MEMORISE: " Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it." – Proverbs 22:6

EXPOSITION

Parenting is undoubtedly very tasking. In fact, it is a ministry on its own, i.e. service to God, and service to the children who God expects to be brought up in His way, and unto His immediate and ultimate glory (cf. Gen. 18:18,19). Every would-be minister of the Gospel usually should be trained in order to be successful on the field. The same is applicable to parenting. Would-be parents must, whether directly or indirectly, explicitly or implicitly, formally or informally, learn the art of parenting, in order to become successful parents.

ALSO READ: GOFAMINT DEVOTIONAL FOR TODAY

Meanwhile, today's dose of the Living Water focuses on permissive parents. The word 'permissive' describes, being indecisive about what a person does or not. It is giving freedom to someone/something to do what you don't approve of. Therefore, permissive parents are parents who allow their children too much freedom, i.e. they allow the children to excessively do things their own ways. Will these parents be able to raise spiritually, socially and emotionally healthy children? It is doubtful!



ALSO READ: MFMMOUNTAIN TOP DEVOTIONAL FOR TODAY.



High Priest Eli was a permissive parent. His children's brazen corruption and perversion were obvious. Yet, papa merely 'cautioned' them just verbally, and when it was late, too! There was obviously no action to stop the malady in the children! One would have thought Eli should have relieved them of their priestly roles. May be that would have corrected their mal-adjusted behaviour!

ALSO READ: OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL FOR TODAY

Lesson for today's parents: Stop being permissive. Things that don't have biblical approval should be frowned at and vehemently condemned, though with lovely rebuke, correction and instruction in the Lord (cf. 2 Tim. 3:16,17). Stop the indulgence and uncared attitude. If you give children an inch, they would go a mile, and even extra mile. May God teach us to be perfect and not permissive parents, even as today commemorates International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression, in Jesus' name. Do you love your children? Correct them (Heb. 12:6-11).

PRAYER POINT:

1. Lord, assist me to be a parent after Your own heart.
2. Holy Spirit, teach me how to handle my children, so that they don't become disaster to their generation.
3. Lord, remove from our children, the spirit of rebellion and disobedience.

DO HAVE A BLESSED DAY

©2022 LIVING WATERS IS a daily devotional by THE CHRIST APOSTOLIC CHURCH