Think of whatever project is consuming the most of your mind and your time right now in your life… Have you got it? Are you thinking of it? Probably pretty big, huh?…
Now step back and consider how big it is… in comparison to your life as a whole…
Not that big, huh?
There is one project that truly is as big as life itself, because they are lives themselves – our children.
There is no bigger or more important project in your life than the raising of your kids.
Andy Stanley put it best when he said, “Your greatest contribution to society may not be something you do, but someone you raise.”
If parents would give as much concentrated energy on their children for 18 years as they do on a specific project that consumes their life for a matter of months, their children, our churches, and the world, would be the better for it.
Don’t neglect your most important long term projects for the sake of short term ones. And don’t give any less intentionality to the biggest and most important project God has given you.
Consider these thoughts:
1. Our most important project deserves a PLAN.
Whatever project you’re currently trying to accomplish right now, you no doubt have a plan of action for how to accomplish it. Why should our children deserve anything less?
Do you have an aged based plan for where you want your children to be a year from now, three years, ten years?
A great book with great insight on an aged based plan is SHIFT by Brian Haynes.
2. Our most important project requires INTENTIONALITY and DISCIPLINE.
Things most often don’t get done unless we make them happen. From daily things on our to-do list, to exercise, to yearly goals.
The same is true in the raising of our kids. Even if we have a plan, if we don’t get intentional about how to accomplish that plan, the plan itself will only be made up of good intentions rather than any real substance.
Discipline yourself as the parent to make the plan a reality on a daily basis. What will you specifically do today to help your children come to know Christ, to influence them spiritually, and to invest into their character?
3. Our most important project requires a lot of WORK.
I don’t know about you, but when I’m working on a big project, there’s a lot of sweat and hard work that goes into it. Why should we think it will be any different with raising our children?
Children don’t raise themselves to become Godly and to love the Lord with all their heart. It happens because parents have a plan, they are intentional and disciplined about carrying out that plan, and because they are committed to the work involved in the process. And the plan cannot simply be to take them to church each week and hope they end up turning out alright. The plan takes place through the everyday hard work of being a Godly parent.
If a parent is willing to make their children their biggest project for 18 years, there will be many more years of payoff than that to enjoy down the road. The payoff will be worth the process.
I’ve got a lot of projects on my plate, as I’m sure you do as well. But until my four kids are out of the house, by God’s grace, there will not be any other project that get’s greater priority in mine or my wife’s life than them.
George Barna in his book, Transforming Children Into Spiritual Champions, said this, “Our children will define the future, which makes them our most significant and enduring legacy. After all, God never told His followers to take over the world through force or intelligence. He simply told us to have children and then raise them to honor God in all they do. Therefore, you might logically conclude that bearing and raising children is not only our most enduring legacy, but also one of our greatest personal responsibilities.”
In what ways do you need to focus more on your BIGGEST project?
