You honor your children above God….God said the following to Eli the priest whose sons were sinning: “29 Why do you kick at My sacrifice and at My offering which I have commanded in My dwelling, and honor your sons above Me, by making yourselves fat with the choicest of every offering of My people Israel?’” – 1 Sam 2:29.

What should Eli have done? He should have removed them. He should have disciplined them severely. But all he said was “this is not good”. How many parents today are like this? The majority.

But Samuel could raise children in the right way: “26 Now the boy Samuel [b]was growing in stature and in favor both with the Lord and with men.” – 1 Sam 2:22

What I’ve often seen is that the same parents who raise their own children to put the world first, can see exactly how other children should be raised. This is perhaps because of a certain emotional detachment for other children. They aren’t emotionally controlled when it comes to knowing what other children should be doing, but with their own they are. This is not an excuse, it’s further evidence that these parents “love” their children more than they love God. This love for children has blinded them to seeing what it clear to everyone else. When it comes to other children, they love God more and so they see how other parents are erring. But they don’t see that with their own children they are communicating that God is second.

Parents, treat your children with a certain unemotional detachment when it comes to what is right. Your children will cry and think you hate them. But you don’t. Raise your sons to be like Samuel. Teach them to listen to and to obey God.

Today’s parents are so interested in making their children happy that they will allow their children to put their worldly activities ahead of God; ahead of the worship of God. This is a terrible thing which I see and the message the parents send to their children by doing this is going to have eternal consequences. “Nothing comes before God” needs to be the message we send to our sons and daughters.

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