“By their fruits ye shall know them.” Matthew 7:20
Woven throughout Scripture, there is a subtle yet motivational principle—fruits are extensions of roots (Luke 6:43-45).
One of the greatest Biblical fruits referenced is children—the “fruit of the womb.” God says that this fruit is our reward. (Psalm 127:3)
Think about it… God has entrusted parents with stewardship, care, and shaping of another human soul. What a privilege. What a responsibility.
FRUITS & ROOTS
This “fruits and roots” principle is obvious, yet deep—our kids are natural extensions of us.
- The more we grow, the more they grow.
- The healthier we are physically, mentally, and spiritually, the healthier our family will naturally be as well.
- The priorities we have will likely be reflected in the priorities of our children and future generations.
- The person we’ve become is the person they are becoming. We can’t help but reproduce what we are. (There’s an obvious caviat conversation that could be had here about our children’s free will, but I digress.)
Is there any greater reflection of us than our little God-given human mirrors? As Paul David Tripp says in his book, Parenting, “God uses our parenting to expose our hearts to us.”
But, the difficult process of parenting seasons inevitably leads to a harvest season of reaping fruit for a lifetime.
LOUD FRUIT
So if you want to most accurately know a person, look at their children, and especially their grown children.
Whether personal friends, pastors, or presidents, their children silently yet loudly speak volumes about them. (This is why I encourage young parents to make “The Ask.” We did this multiple times throughout the parenting years.)
Every father should remember that one day his child will follow his example, not his advice. -Charles Kettering
It can never be said enough—the key to godly parenting is always a godly parent. Because more than our children will become what we say, they will become who we are.
So this begs the question, especially for parents like us who still have children in our homes… Who am I?… And what kind of fruit are my children naturally becoming as a result of my roots?
As they naturally become more like me, how can I become more like Christ? (I Corinthians 11:1)
“There is no school equal to a decent home and no teacher equal to a virtuous parent.” -Gandhi
** For the parent who’s in “the middle of the fight” struggling through the difficult seasons, I’m praying for you today, and that God gives you fruit that remains. Stay Faithful! With God’s help, you’ve got this!
