Do We Want Good Children or Godly Children?

[Alba Henderson]

People were always telling me, "Sis. Alba, your children are so good." "So well behaved and so beautiful" Deep down in my heart, I wanted more than just good children, I wanted children who love God and allowed God to use them.

I was torn between pushing them to do, to do,to do, or just allowing them to just sit and do nothing. However God told me to get to know my children, their interests, their dessires, their strengths and weaknesses and find out what they would like to do for God. To teach them to seek God's face in all they do and desire.

Sometimes we get to the point where we "can't stand them", lol, the spirits they pick from school and other places and bring home. However we must continue to love and nourish and by example teach them to live a wholesome life and love God and follow His commandments.

So, do we want Good children or Godly children? Please share your thoughts and wisdom.

[Demetria]

This is such a good topic...
I love my daughters dearly and I know they are great and wonderful kids - I do get that complement a lot on their behavior (mostly my oldest- ha!) My toddler is still in the "training" stage.
I am always told how well behaved they are, etc.
But...
My burning passion for them is from them to love the Lord with all their heart, mind and soul.
Although I teach them school at home, I still find that it's very easy for children to pick up on unfamiliar attitudes when around friends and at social gatherings, and even in the media. Our television viewing is limited, but I do let my 7 year old watch a good bit of PBS Go in the afternoons...and even though it is educational, I still find that there are some majorly lacking spiritual needs in her life that just keeping busy with friends, television, church,and school cannot give her. Even our bible memory verse each day seems not to be the real key...
I want for her to love God. I mean, really KNOW Him, have a relationship with Him.
This comes with time, of course.
But my desire is to see her drawn to His ways, His word, asking questions about Him, feeling encouraged by who He is to her, trusting Him, praying to Him, asking Him for things that only the innocence of a child can bring about...
I want her childhood memories of her relationship with her Heavenly Father to be cemented in place, firmly and established, so that when she is a tween, then a teen, then a young adult, she can never roam far from Him.

More than good, smart kids...I want Godly, wholesome kids. I want children who are complete and whole in Jesus.
That means I have to model this and live it out before them...but this is what I want.

[Alba Henderson]

Amen!