We come across a story in the Old Testament involving David and Solomon. David decided to build a house for God. God sends him a message that he is not to build the house, but his son will. David then gathers the material so that Solomon can build the temple. Solomon does indeed build the temple as instructed.
From this story I would like to make an observation. When we as parents are raising our children in the kingdom I think we have a misunderstanding in something. We think we are building them up into something. Like we think they are our building project and if the project turns out wrong then it’s our fault.
We are trying to build them into a temple for God. The Bible does say that we are the temple of God. 1 Corinthians 3:16 (NET) Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you? What does it say before this though? 1 Corinthians 3:9-11 (NET) 9 We are coworkers belonging to God. You are God’s field, God’s building. 10 According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master-builder I laid a foundation, but someone else builds on it. And each one must be careful how he builds. 11 For no one can lay any foundation other than what is being laid, which is Jesus Christ. Notice something important. Paul says he laid the foundation, but someone else is building on it. That’s what we’re doing. We are laying the foundation and as David we are supplying our children with what they need to build their temple. It though is their job to build their temple for God. We can lay everything out, we can teach, we can direct, but it’s still their job to build it. If we have given them everything they need. If we have laid everything out and taught them about Jesus the firm foundation. Then we have done what we are supposed to. Just as David couldn’t build the temple that Solomon was to build, we can’t build our children’s temple. We can only supply them with what they need.
I’d like to take a moment to look at some Bible heroes and some of their children. Noah had 3 sons. The Bible says that Noah was a preacher of righteousness (2 Peter 5 KJV). He spent years building an ark and preaching and even got his sons on the ark. Yet one of them turned out unrighteous. Samuel was a prophet of God and pointed everyone towards God and righteous living. Yet the Bible says his sons did not follow his ways (1 Samuel 8:3 NET). Why am I talking about this, what is this all about?
This is the point. To the parents that raised their children to live for God and when they came to age they walked away. Stop blaming yourself, stop beating yourself up. You’ve done your job. You provided them with what they needed, it’s not your fault what they built. We must continue to pray for them and watch for them to return. Just as the father in the story of the prodigal son. It says when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him (Luke 15:20 KJV). So don’t condemn yourself, but rather watch and pray.
1 John 3:20 ISV If our hearts condemn us, God is greater than our hearts and knows everything.