Many times you hear of supporting a “good cause”, from giving money to a children’s hospital to walking in a walk that raises money for cancer patients there are a world of “good causes” out there that you can be apart of and teach your children about, however there is no greater cause than the cause of Christ.  Don’t get me wrong, I believe that we should support great causes such as those I mentioned, but even more so, I believe we should teach our children to be “mission-minded”.

I grew up in a “mission-minded” church, today I attend and volunteer in another “mission-minded” church.  These church families believe in missions, “telling others the good news of Jesus Christ”.  We support missions through prayer, education and financial support, some of our members go on mission trips and we do our best to spread the good news of Jesus Christ.  As a child I attended a missions group for girls and I now direct a similar group for teen girls in my local church.

I hope to raise “mission-minded” kids.  It is my goal that they understand that missions is “every Christian’s responsibility” not just those who choose to give more by becoming a missionary and traveling to or living on the other side of the world, but we are all called to “live out” the Great Commission,

“Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Matthew 28:18-20 (NIV)

Teach your daughter about missions, give her the opportunity to give to and pray for missions, maybe even take a “family mission trip” or allow her to go with a group on a missions trip. It will be a life changing experience. It will make an impact on her.

Never forget why we are saved, to carry on the news of salvation to others, and that involves being “missions-minded”, it is our Greatest Mission!

Photo credit: ba1969

Girls,  How many times has your momma said this, “Because I said so.” When my momma said it, she backed it with a promise.  She meant business.  I knew  my mom meant business, but she also modeled obedience for me.  She expected me to obey, but she also obeyed God.  She modeled this for me.

She made time for me.  She made his teachings a part of our daily life.  God’s commandments in my home were rules to live by, not just because my mom said so, but because God said so.  God says the same thing.  He expects us to do things because He says so.

The Bible says in Ephesians 6:

“Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.  Honor your father and mother which is the first commandment with a promise – that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.”

Ephesians 6:1-3

You see, God tells us to do something and He backs it up with a promise. And you know what?  God keeps His promises. How many times have you promised someone something and NOT kept your promise?  Or maybe someone promised you something and they didn’t keep their promise.  But with God, He ALWAYS keeps His promises.

He tells us to obey our parents, and our parents must obey God.  He also gives them a command, it is found in Deuteronomy 6

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.  These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts.  Impress them on your children.  Talk about them  when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.  Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.  Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.”  Deuteronomy 6:5-9

We as parents are to teach our children to love God,  as a result of this love our children will learn to honor and obey God,  this will cause them to learn to be obedient.  Honor comes through obedience.

When we learn to obey and honor our parents we are being obedient to God and we will therefore receive His promises.

Parents will often make promises to us as well.  As parents we must follow through with our promises in order to help our children to learn obedience.  My parents were ones to keep their promises whether it was a promise of punishment if I disobeyed or a promise of something I wanted or was wishing for.

I had to first learn to be obedient.  Even when my momma said, “Because I said so.”