Romans 15:14

I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another.

Why do we do the things we do? Do we play golf because we enjoy the game and the outdoors or do we have an internal desire to compete at a high level? Our enjoyment of a game or a hobby depends upon our expectations. If treasuring time with our friends while playing a game outdoors is the core reason, we will rarely be disappointed when we leave the golf course. If our enjoyment is dependent on a posted score, most of us are setting ourselves up for heartbreak.

In Romans 15:14, Paul expounded on the motivations for his writings. He had a great desire for believers to strive for both goodness and knowledge while setting an example for others to be Christ-like. Shouldn’t this be the same desire we have for our own children? We should desire for them to come to a saving knowledge through Jesus Christ, be good citizens fully knowledgeable of right and wrong, and capable of teaching others. If our motivation behind the rearing of our children is for them to become All-State quarterbacks or even a professional athlete, most of us are going to be sorely disappointed. If your children are saved, knowledgeable in the Bible, and active within your local church, you are performing your duties as a parent. Paul had a great love for the people from each of the churches he visited. In 1 Corinthians 1:5, he was thankful for the enrichment of the people within the church at Corinth. They not only gained knowledge of the doctrines of a church founded upon Jesus Christ, but they were also bestowed gifts equipping them with the spiritual knowledge to preach and teach the Word to others. There is no better gift for our children than a spiritual gift. Just as Paul knew he was not going to be able to oversee the people forever, our children are not going to be within the confines of our house forever. The health of the future generations depend upon the existence and enrichment of the spirituality of our youth. I pray that we have a deep desire for the spiritual health of our children.