NEGLIGENT PARENTING

NEGLIGENT (adjective) The word has 2 senses: 1. characterized by neglect and undue lack of concern. 2. marked by insufficient care or attention
Synonyms: delinquent; derelict; neglectful; remiss (failing in what duty requires);
lax; slack (lacking in rigor or strictness); hit-and-run (involving a driver of a motor vehicle who leaves the scene of an accident); inattentive; neglectful (not showing due care or attention).

PARENTING (noun) The activity of bringing up a child.

Many of us failed to realize that God requires more of parents than just feeding, housing, and financially supporting their children. He expects parents to take on the grave responsibility of a teacher. From the child’s birth onward, God expects parents not only to model an excellent lifestyle but to teach their children His Word. Additionally, this responsibility of teaching is placed on the elders in our midst.

The following scriptures found in the Old and New Testament emphasizes God’s requirements for parents, elders, and leaders:

Exodus 24:12 And the Lord said unto Moses, Come up to me into the mount, and be there: and I will give thee tables of stone, and a law, and commandments which I have written; that thou mayest teach them.

Leviticus 10:11 And that ye may teach the children of Israel all the statutes which the Lord hath spoken unto them by the hand of Moses.

Deuteronomy 4:9 -10 Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life: but teach them thy sons, and thy sons’ sons; Specially the day that thou stoodest before the Lord thy God in Horeb, when the Lord said unto me, Gather me the people together, and I will make them hear my words, that they may learn to fear me all the days that they shall live upon the earth, and that they may teach their children.

Deuteronomy 6:1, 7 Now these are the commandments, the statutes, and the judgments, which the Lord your God commanded to teach you, that ye might do them in the land whither ye go to possess it: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.

Deuteronomy 11:19 And ye shall teach them your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.

Ezra 7:25 And thou, Ezra, after the wisdom of thy God, that is in thine hand, set magistrates and judges, which may judge all the people that are beyond the river, all such as know the laws of thy God; and teach ye them that know them not.

Ezekiel 44:23 And they shall teach my people the difference between the holy and profane, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean.

Matthew 28:19 – 20 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Titus 2:3 – 4 The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children.

If you question the validity of teaching, look at our perfect example. The New Testament scriptures reveal that the majority of Jesus time of ministry on earth was spent in teaching the people:

Matthew 4:23 And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.

Luke 13:22a And he went through the cities and villages, teaching.

Teach, teach, teach is the mandate given to parents, leaders, and elders, and as I previously stated above, many parents have been negligent in this part of their assignment. Regrettably, as we look at, and listen to our Millennials and Generation Z, we observe the consequences of the absence of sound teaching.

The book of Judges details the continued downfall of Israel and the reason was partly disclosed in Judges 2:10b “And there arose another generation after them, which knew not the Lord, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel.” I concluded that this occurred because the parents, elders, and leaders were disobedient to God’s instruction and did not adequately teach their children.

Unfortunately, the scriptures also revealed that God became angry with this new generation and He delivered them into the hands of spoilers, and He sold them into the hands of their enemies. Please don’t be fooled, the same thing that happened to Israel can happen to our children and future generations if we are negligent parents. Please share this message with parents, elders, and leaders. Let’s be bold and persistent in teaching our children. Let’s not let the enemy of their soul, and the world be the ones to influence them but let us who have the Word of God do our job as we declare, “We are not negligent parents.”