Young Love
Posted in Daily Focus on Tuesday, August 19, 2014
“Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the LORD” (Proverbs 18:22).
I’ll never forget the day my son declared his future marriage intentions. As we sat in church Sunday morning waiting for the service to begin, a new family filed in and sat in the pew opposite ours. For the next several minutes, I watched as my son observed the youngest female member of their family—a vibrant, freckle-faced redhead with a smile that went from ear to ear. Just as the pastor stood up to announce the first hymn, my son pulled on my sleeve and nodded toward the crimson-haired beauty. With all the earnestness a six-year-old could muster, he proclaimed, “Mommy, someday I’m going to marry a girl just like that!”
Although my young son’s innocence made me smile, I was convicted that day to begin praying for my children’s future spouses. With the world’s philosophy quickly redefining marriage, I realized fewer young people were willing to honor the spiritual truths of Hebrews 13:4a, “Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled.” If marriage was God’s will for my children’s future, I needed to be on my knees in prayer for them. Like Abraham’s concern for Isaac, I knew God desired my children to be yoked equally to another believer (2 Corinthians 6:14).
As a Christian homeschooling parent, what are you teaching your children about marriage? Are you displaying a godly role model and encouraging them to follow the Lord as they wait on His will and timing for a future mate? Six-year-old boys and girls grow up, and they’ll be looking to you for guidance and wisdom. Teach them what God says about true love in His Word, so they can make the right decision that lasts a lifetime. “Charity never faileth” (1 Corinthians 13:8a).
Father, as I homeschool my children today, their marriage and future adult responsibilities seem so far away. Help me to prepare them for life, not only with academics, but also with a clear understanding of Your truths and will for their lives. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Comments(8 comments)
SAMUEL C 08/20/2009 20:01:26
Awesome post! I believe the greatest process to use to teach our children is our own example of love, forgiveness, faithfulness, and openness in our own marriage relationship. God help us all to be faithful witnesses at home.
Bless ya's!
Marla F 08/19/2010 04:59:34
It's never too early to start to pray for our children's spouses. I have been praying since they were born not only for the spouses but the families that my children will be yoked to. Thay they would love my child as their own and that we together as families would be one big familiy in the Lord. I have seen how God has kept a guard over my children through my prayers. I have a 23 year old and a 14 year old , both are focused on the Lord and his purposes not the world's fleshly influence. But I don't believe this would have happened without me addressing it in prayer and training them to have a proper Godly view of a relatiionship between a woman and man. Thanks for the great devotional! Marla F.
AMANDA R 08/19/2011 06:08:00
My wife and I are missionaries in Manila Philippines. We have home schooled 13 years with our 5 children. I am the Natl Dir of True Love Waits in the Philippines. We shared about future mates with 35,000 students last year but we have prayed with all of our children for their future mates their entire lives. I asked my 15 year old daughter one time when we started praying for her husband. Her response was "I don't know". I said "What do you mean?" She responded "I have no memory of not ever praying and so its always been a part of my life". Thanks for this devotional. We have devoted 8 years of our lives to this blog idea. Purity is not just a good idea.... its God's.
MAYA T 08/19/2011 06:50:08
Lord forgive me as I have only focused on academics and not your word. I have allowed myself to get caught up again in making sure that I don't mess them up and not have them ready for college one day then what is most important, and that is definitely you. I repent. I will teach my kids about you. I love you Lord. You are the most important person to me. You are my Lord and Savior. Thank you for your correction. I praise you because you love me so much to tell me.
LISA C 08/19/2011 07:06:52
I recently have begun to pray for the spouses of my children. I am especially concerned that they also find love with God-loving people. In this day when everything, including marriage, seems easily disposed of when we get tired of it, I think it is so important to let our kids know that God has a different view of this matter than the world. In fact, it is quite opposite. Thank you for these words. Sometimes this path can be an island and it is wonderful to know that others out there are doing what I'm doing.
ARACELIS W 08/19/2011 08:36:42
amen! But this make me well up with tears! I don't want my handsome, sometimes not so nice, but most of the times sweet, intelligent boy to marry! Oh, that brings such feelings of bittersweetness! A.williams
GORDEN M 08/19/2012 05:55:34
Thanks for the article. It was encouraging.
KATHY S 08/19/2012 07:12:58
This has been a subject that I\'ve actually talked about with my now 13 year old.
His Uncle married a woman with amazing outward beauty, only the inward beauty wasn\'t always there. My brother was divorced by the time my son was born.
My brother remained single for nearly 15 years, and now has a girl who we see as \"Beautiful\" all around. She is pretty on the outside, but more than that she is just beaming with kindness, compassion, love and caring, full of Jesus in her heart, we hope they marry soon.
Anyway, with that being said, the topic has come up often, and the other day my son said \" Mom, we are beautiful on the inside, and that\'s whats most important, right? Right, I said . \"I\'m going to look for someone like us when I\'m older\". ( he knows that Jesus is the biggest part of that beauty).
So, life\'s examples, and just talking to eachother, he understands what is truly important to look for in a wife.