Being Diligent with their Hearts

February 24, 2009

Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks, and look well to thy herds.

Proverbs 27:23

The first time I heard someone preach about this verse they used it in context of knowing the state of your children’s hearts. Then last weekend we attended a Bible study and the topic was about shepherding (feeding, protecting) those God gives to you.

I’m sure most of you will agree with me that parenting is the toughest job on the planet! Each day seems like a new challenge, or worse, an old challenge that keeps rearing it’s ugly head (not the child, but the issue). Sometimes I feel like we are over the biggest hurdles and I begin to get a bit relaxed in my parenting (read in lack-of-consistency), and BOOM things are spinning out of control again.

As our children grow older it is such a struggle to know the state of their hearts. With our ‘information age’ and entertainment crazed culture, parents really have to be diligent to know the state of their children’s hearts, it is so easy to be exposed to things that can grip their hearts. They can be saying the right words on the outside, but then you will see attitudes surfacing that are not honoring to God. Just little things that tip you off that their heart may be wondering a bit.

One of the hardest things for me to do is to stop and listen, even worse; stop and play. I ‘think’ I am good about listening to my children, but sometimes I get so distracted that I am not really sitting down, looking them in the eyes and listening. Sometimes you have to spend a lot of time playing (that’s called ‘hanging out’ for older kids, ;o) ), before they will really open up to you. This I struggle with a lot.

Once your child opens up and talks with you, but you disagree with what they are saying, it may be best to not comment on how wrong they are right then,  and approach the topic at a later time in a different way. If they feel like they will be corrected every time they say something wrong, usually out of ignorance, they will hesitate to be open. That will usually encourage them to open up to someone else; thus, their heart will wander from your guidance/shepherding.

Especially as they get older and have more and more outside influences we as parents need to have daily  diligence to be aware the state of their heart. Ask God for wisdom and insight. It’s tough…I KNOW!!!

You may have days like I had today when I had to stop, put everything I felt was needful to get done for the day aside, and sit down and listen, eye to eye. It may mean turning the phone off and getting away form the computer. It may mean getting in the car and going for a long drive in the country, just the two of you with no radio on, like I had to do today.  It may mean they will miss a club meeting or practice. Although I have a lot of "important" things to do, occasionally I have URGENT things to do, and that is to know the state of my flock; to know what is going on in their heart, to be able to guide them back into green pastures, where there is safety and nourishment.

Satan wants to lead our children to worship false idols (self), and we have got to be diligent in our parenting and praying that we keep them under our shepherding.  No meeting, no housework, no club, no math assignment is more important than knowing the state of your flock. Don’t just assume that you know, ask questions, listen and be aware how they are treating others.

As I said, I think parenting is the hardest job on the planet! But, Oh how rewarding it is!

Topics: Diligence | 7 Comments »