BLESSING THE FAMILY

“He has blessed your children” Psalm 147:13

“Train up a child in the way he should go, when he is old he will not depart from it” Proverbs 22:6

A sincere commitment to make your family the first priority above all human relationships is the second step in building the foundation that leads to a life of excellence. Commitment is an agreement or a pledge to do something in the future. It is a state of being obligated or emotionally impelled. (Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary)

“There’s a difference between interest and commitment. When you’re interested in doing something, you do it only when it’s convenient. When you’re committed to something, you accept no excuses, only results.” Kenneth Blanchard

Scripture Memorization
“Honor your father and your mother, as the LORD your God has commanded you, that your days may be long, and that it may be well with you in the land which the LORD your God is giving you.” Deuteronomy 5:16

The Study

Return to the story of Ruth. Note Ruth’s commitment to her mother-in-law, Naomi.  Ruth was emotionally impelled to meet the physical and emotional needs of Naomi. Note that  this commitment wasn’t convenient or easy. Identify the actions that demonstrated commitment.  Also identify the sacrifice endured by this princess from Moab that lead to results of divine blessing and favor.
Complete pages 33-34 Excellence with Simple Elegance-The Study (workbook). 

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BLESSING OUR CHILDREN

Blessing our children is as vital in today’s world as it was in biblical times. As women of faith and  excellence, the commitment to passing on the blessing to our family must be a priority. Throughout the Bible, we find evidence that the God of Israel was a God of blessing. The words bless or blessing is found in scripture 700 times. The people of the Bible, needed and desired the grace, mercy, power, and encouragement that could be poured into their lives through God’s blessing.

What is a blessing?

The Old Testament word for blessing is berakah.  Berakah was the endowment of the power of God’s goodness and favor. The blessing was delivered through a spoken word and often laying hands on the one being blessed. The spoken blessing was commonly spoken by fathers to their children. In the New Testament, the word “bless” is the Greek verb eulogeo  which we get our word eulogy. It means “to speak well of” or “to praise”. (New International Exhaustive Concordance)

Why should we embrace the act of blessing?

As parents, our ultimate goal is to help our children know and love God with all their heart. What better way than to help our children experience God by giving them a daily concrete encounter with His power and favor by laying hands on them and speaking a blessing. Secondly, the blessings brings security. The blessing has the ability to convey God’s love to children by our parental attention. Children desperately need our undivided attention. Thirdly, the act of blessing creates an atmosphere of openness and honesty. And lastly, when we continue to bless our children especially through difficult times in their life, it demonstrates to them an element of faith that they might never see otherwise. This steady, unwavering demonstration of confidence in what they’ll become helps them mature in accordance with those positive expectations.

In Mark 10:13-16, Jesus blesses the children.  This story allows us to know the depths of Jesus’ concern for children and clearly demonstrates to us how we are to treat our children.  Read this account in Mark 10.

How to bless  your children.

Identify and use  the five key components to bless your child.  Choose the time of day in which you will routinely bless your child. Mornings were perfect for me and my husband chose bedtime. Refer to p 54 in Excellence with Simple Elegance.  These elements are the tool to bless and to enhance the way you communicate love and acceptance to your children. Make a  committment to bless daily.

Numbers 6:24-25 “The Lord bless you, and keep you. The Lord make His face shine on you, and be gracious to you; The Lord life up His countenance on you, And give you peace.”     This is the priestly blessing the Lord gave to Moses for Aaron and his sons to bless the children of Israel.  All Christian parents say “Yes” to the idea of showing God’s goodness to their children. Yet we are keenly aware of our failures to help them love God as we ought to love Him.  So where are we going to go with that sense of failure? We must not go to guilt, but go to God for the grace to love Him as we should and as well as to show God’s goodness to our children. Begin using this written blessing to speak over your children nightly.  Also explain to your children what a blessing is and why you are choosing to speak a blessing over them beginning tonight.

Complete pages 35-37 in Excellence with Simple Elegance-The Study (workbook)

Deuteronomy 6:5-7 “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.”

The Deuteronomy text is definitely for those who are serious about passing the blessings of God to their family. God calls us to frame the entire day with talking to our children about the ways of God. Obviously, presenting God’s glory and goodness to our children is an essential part of our calling as parents. If God’s power, mercy, and grace has not melted your heart, shaping in you a profound love for Him, it will be difficult to impress His glory on your children. God’s Word must be precious to you for it to important to your children.

Passing the blessing to your children begins with being dazzled by God and His truths  filling your heart.  God’s goodness and love must fascinate you so much so that it’s the very pulse of your heart. So these elements of meaningful touch and kind words will be expressed to fully meet the need of the one to which you are bestowing the blessing. These acts of selflessness are expressed from a servant’s heart that truly comes from loving God. Simply living and blessing your children daily will impress upon them the excellence of God’s ways.

Heavenly Father, we pray that the blessing spoken to our family will be an outpouring of love from the heart that truly adores You. May the blessing of our loving touch be a blessing to our children and  to Your glory. In Jesus name, Amen. 

Promise

“Train up a child…he will not depart from it”

Blessing

“I will pour out My Spirit on your children and bring good to your children’s children.”