3c. Older women teach the younger women to; Love their children.

The second love means “fond of.”

I have heard many mothers talk like they are not fond of their children. They celebrate their going back to school, try to get rid of them at friend’s and acquaintances' houses every chance they can, speak to them in a hateful manner using negative nicknames and talk about babies as if they were a disease to be avoided at all costs.

Oh, I believe these mothers love their children in that they don't hate them and would be very sad if something happened to them. But they are not fond of them. They do not enjoy their company.

Older women are to teach younger women HOW to be fond of their children. This is a skill, not something that always comes automatically. It means learning to set your mind on the enjoyment of sticky fingers, little sentences and young ideas.

And it has a lot to do with training the children to be lovable.

I would honestly find it hard to be fond of most children I meet in today's society. God's Word tells us a way to raise our children where they will be likable. In fact, God is the perfect example of a good parent.

• He tells us plainly in His Word what He wants us to do. He doesn't make us guess.

Some parents never really tell their children what they expect of them and then they jump down their throat when they don't meet those expectations.

God doesn't do that to us. He has let us know what He expects in the Bible. All we have to do is study it out.

• He rewards us when we do right, not just with heaven eventually, but with "life, and that they might have it more abundantly" (John 10:10) now.

When we obey what He tells us to do, He gives us rewards. Actually, these rewards are set into the natural laws of His universe. If we don't jump off the roof, we won't break our neck (obeying and respecting the law of gravity.) If we honor and obey our husband, he will love and protect us. If we…

“Train up our child in the way he should go: when he is old, he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6

Simple cause and effect. We should set up the same with our children. I read about one mom who read the verse

“… that if any would not work, neither should he eat.” 2 Thessalonians 3:10

She set it up in her home that anyone who did not have his chores done by meal time, did not eat until his chores were done. (They never missed a meal, just had it delayed.) Thus, her children were rewarded for their work with a good meal. Natural consequence.

We should look for opportunities to praise and bless our children for their good acts and qualities. The One Minute Manager stated that every boss should sneak around the office trying to catch his employees doing things right and then give them a brief praise for it. We should do that in our own homes, too. It works.

• God punishes us for our own good.

“Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us … For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but He for our profit, that we might be partakers of His holiness.” Hebrews 12:9-11

God punishes us in order to bring us nearer to Him and closer to perfection without ever losing sight of the fact that we are fallible humans. We parents should follow His example and punish our children, not because they make us mad (which is often the motivation for punishment), but because we are grieved at their sin. We should be trying to mold Godly attitudes and behavior into our children.

“Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.” Hebrews 12:11

“Chasten thy son while there is hope, and let not thy soul spare for his crying” Proverbs 19:18

“Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die. Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell” Proverbs 23:13-14

This is not a call to abuse our children, beating them willy-nilly for any ole' thing.

As I said earlier, God is our perfect example of a parent. He NEVER punishes us in order to take out His frustrations. He punishes- disciplines- us carefully and thoughtfully for OUR OWN GOOD. NEVER for His pleasure. God has given us this tool of the rod to use for bringing our children closer to righteousness.

“The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame”. Proverbs 29:15


The world has rejected, even vilified, God's methods of child rearing. The world is reaping what they sow in their uncontrollable and unlikable children. Simple cause and effect.

(And for all those that would be disappointed if I don't mention homeschooling in here somewhere: I believe that homeschooling is an integral part of this training:

“And thou shalt teach God's Words 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 6:7


In other words, every waking moment, except maybe when you bathe. That time isn't mentioned.

“And, ye fathers (parents), provoke (frustrate) not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture (culture) and admonition (education) of the Lord.”…Ephesians 6:4

It is pretty hard to train a child in Godly attitudes, culture and education when we are not actually with them. Homeschooling lets us be with them during the best hours of their day.

More Relevant Scriptures:

Deuteronomy 4:9 “Only take heed to yourself, and diligently keep yourself, … And teach [My Laws] to your children and your grandchildren,”

Deuteronomy 11:19 “You shall teach them to your children, speaking of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.”

Proverbs 22:6 “Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it.”

Jeremiah 10:2 “Thus says the LORD: “Do not learn the way of the Gentiles;…” (Don’t even know about what goes on in the unsaved culture)

Psalm 1: 2 “But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates DAY AND NIGHT.” (This includes school hours).

2 Corinthians 10:5 “Casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing EVERY THOUGHT into captivity to the obedience of Christ,” (Even math thoughts)

Proverbs 23:7 “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.”

Luke 6:40 “A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained (finished with his schooling) will be like his teacher.” (and if his teacher isn’t a Christian…)

Romans 12:2 “And do not be conformed to this world, …

Matthew 16:23 “But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not MINDFUL OF THE THINGS OF GOD, but the things of men.”

Colossians 3:1 “If then you were raised with Christ, seek THOSE THINGS WHICH ARE ABOVE, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.”

Matthew 22:37-38 “Jesus said to him, ‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with ALL YOUR MIND.’ This is the first and great commandment.”

The Affects of Non-Christian Associations:

1 Corinthians 15:33 “Do not be deceived: “Evil company corrupts good habits.” (Christian kids do not bring their unsaved peers to the Lord very often. Not even in Sunday School. It generally works the other way around.)

Proverbs 13:20 “He who walks with wise men will be wise, But the companion of fools will be destroyed.” (Remember that “the fool says in his heart there is no God.” Ps 14:3-1 So anyone who walks with, or spends time with, someone who doesn’t acknowledge God is on the path to destruction.)

The Content of True Education:

2 Timothy 3:16-17 “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (What more do you need from an education?)

Proverbs 1:7 “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction.” (True education BEGINS with the fear of God; the fear of God is its foundation. But atheists despise true knowledge.)

Psalm 111:10 “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those who do His commandments. His praise endures forever.” (The foundation of wisdom is the fear of the Lord. Our schools are lacking the very foundation of wisdom or knowledge.)

Proverbs 2:6 “For the LORD gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding;”

Proverbs 9:10 “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”

James 1:5 “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.”

Psalm 119:97-101 “Oh, how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day. You, through Your commandments, make me wiser than my enemies; For they are ever with me.” (The Bible is what makes us wiser, not degrees on the wall)

2 Timothy 2:15 “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."

Matthew 6:33 “But seek FIRST the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and ALL THESE THINGS (including a good education) shall be added to you.”

Children Belong to God:

Ezekiel 16:21 “that you have slain MY CHILDREN and offered them up to them by causing them to pass through the fire?”

When asked whose image is on the tax coin, the people answer (Matthew 22:21)

“ ‘Caesar's.’ Then saith He unto them, “Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's.”

Caesar’s image was carved on the money. Render the tax coin to Caesar.

Our children are carved in the image of God. Give them to God, not Caesar.

“We can not be surprised when we send our children to Rome for their education and they come out Romans.”- Voddie Bauchum.

God charges parents in these verses with providing His children that He has entrusted to their care a Christian education and culture.

I also believe homeschooling is one way of hedging the bets that your husband will not suffer harm due to the children. We can make sure they are trained and taught in such a way that they will not embarrass our hubbies. Our men should be proud to be with their children, not embarrassed. Homeschool commercial over.)