by Dr. Paul Chappell

"Hearken unto thy father that begat thee, and despise not thy mother when she is old. Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding. The father of the righteous shall greatly rejoice: and he that begetteth a wise child shall have joy of him. Thy father and thy mother shall be glad, and she that bare thee shall rejoice. My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways."

Proverbs 23:22-26

Be consistent with what your mouth teaches your children and what your life teaches them.

"There's always that unknown." Some of Colonel Anderson's last words on earth before launching into a twenty-four day mission in space predicted what no one would have guessed would be the end of his life.

Michael Anderson was a United States Air Force colonel and a NASA astronaut who perished when the spaceship Columbia disintegrated upon re-entering the earth's atmosphere on February 1, 2003. All on board the craft perished in what can only be described as a catastrophic mistake. While the nation mourned the loss of all seven members of the crew, those who knew Anderson and crew member Rick Husband personally rejoiced in knowing they were in Heaven with their Saviour.

Members of the same church, Anderson and Husband had created videos before the mission in case of tragedy. Those videos were shown at their church's services on February 2. Anderson, a husband and father of two daughters, spoke of knowing he was placed on the mission for a reason. Husband, a husband and father of a daughter and son, stated, "If I ended up at the end of my life having been an astronaut, but having sacrificed my family along the way or living my life in a way that didn't glorify God, then I would look back on it with great regret. Having become an astronaut would not really have mattered all that much. And I finally came to realize that what really meant the most to me was to try and live my life the way God wanted me to and to try and be a good husband to Evelyn and to be a good father to my children."

Even with the great honor of being one of the few to enter outer space, Husband realized the greater honor of being a father to his son and daughter. He knew his accomplishments in life meant nothing if he failed his family.

Parents, do you realize the honor and privilege you have of raising your children? Children aren't simply an inconvenience as some would say. They aren't an added burden. They are a gift from God, Who has entrusted you with their safety, care, and development.

When raising children, perhaps the greatest need is wisdom. Many situations we face as parents we've never faced before in our lives. How do we train godly children? How can we ensure they follow God's will for their lives?

One area in which we can develop godly children is through consistency. Basically, matching our actions with our words. Notice today's verse: "My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways." Solomon told his son to observe his ways and follow him. Yet, Solomon did not always follow God, and often fell into idolatry and sin. This inconsistency aided in his son's demise.

Are you being consistent with your children? Don't teach them of God's provision, and then fail to seek Him in your need. Don't teach them of the importance of prayer, and then fail to pray. Be consistent with what your mouth teaches your children and what your life teaches them.

To learn more about the ministries of Lancaster Baptist Church and Pastor Chappell, please visit lancasterbaptist.org, paulchappell.com, or follow him on twitter.

Daily Bible Reading
Job 41-42 | Acts 16:22-40