The 10 [Parental] Commandments

Parents,

WE are our children’s FIRST teacher and trainer.

WE are responsible to give an account to God for the training we enforced [and did not enforce] in our homes.

Whether it was sanctification or sin that we taught, God will judge it all!

It is our responsibility to teach our sons and daughters the Truth written in the Word of God.

I want to provide biblical teaching on how you can judge your own parenting role based on the 10 Commandments.

1. You shall not have no other god before Me [God]. Are we teaching and training our children to “chase the bag” instead of Jesus with all their mind, heart, body, and soul?
2. You shall not make any idols. Are we training or pressuring them to focus to become someone that God never intended them to be, such as that famous basketball player or music artist instead of teaching them that Christ is the only one to imitate, worship, and love?
3. You shall not use the Lord’s name in vain. Are we allowing our children to speak in reckless ways [i.e. cursing, blasphemy, gossip] instead of teaching them that the name and presence of God is so holy that there ought to be reverence in both behavior and speech?
4. Keep the Sabbath holy. Are we teaching and training our children to work hard in doing the deeds of God, but to also take time to rest in the presence of God because that is the only place they will get the right counsel and directions to live a good, obedient, and fruitful life?
5. Honor your father and mother. Are we teaching and training our children to hate and disrespect us and/or their other parent – maybe because they may not be present in the home or may be living a wicked lifestyle, instead of love and respect their parent(s) because it is honor and obedience unto God?
6. You shall not murder. Are we promoting our children to argue and fight one another, or take someone’s life? Even in their mind, are we promoting hate and strife against someone that has wronged them instead of loving people, building others up, and praying for one another?
7. You shall not commit adultery. Are we being the examples, teaching, and training our children that marriage is between one husband [male] and one wife [female] and that any sexual relations with anyone outside of marriage is sin against God? Or are we encouraging them to remain pure [in mind and body] whether they plan to get married or not. Purity does not end when marriage begins. It is an eternal virtue of God.
8. You shall not steal. Are we teaching and training our children that taking things that belong to others is wrong? Whether it’s a pencil from a classmate or a fashion bag, stealing is sin against God. We ought to teaching them that God is their ultimate provider and absolutely everything they need can be provided by Him. This instills trust in the Lord with all their heart.
9. You shall not bear false witness [lie]. Are we teaching our children that it is ok to tell a lie “every now and then.” To lie on applications, resumes, or to people whom they might want to impress? Or are we teaching them them all lies are wrong. God does not honor any false information, including gossip; but He honors and blesses those that live in the truth and by the truth.
10. You shall not covet. Are we teaching and training our children to be content with the provisions of God? As we help them to focus on all that God has blessed them with, they will see that there is no room to desire what others have. Each one’s life is not suppose to look alike. It is an insult to desire what we don’t have and is a statement of “This is not good enough for me,” to God. Therefore, we must teach them that taking pleasure in the things that we have been given by Him is what greatly pleases God.

I can be sure that we did not get everything right as we grew up and became the parents that we are today. No need to feel ashamed or guilty of it. In this moment, we can thank God for the chance to make it right by living according to His commandments AND by teaching and training our children to live the same way.

God hates and, at the same time, is saddened by sin.

When His law is broken by the conscience choices we make, it draws us further from Him and closer to the brink of death and destruction [hell].

This is not His will for us nor our children.

The good news is that we have the power to lead not only ourselves, but also our children to true life in Christ Jesus.

*The 10 Commandments can be found in Exodus 20:1-17