Parents are endowed by God Almighty, the creator, with mysterious powers to bless or curse their children for life. God made this clear right from the time he began to regulate the lifestyle of the Israelites, his chosen people, by means of the Ten Commandments. He said that children must obey their parents to live long on earth. Later in the era of Jesus Christ, who came as God in human form, his apostle Paul reiterated this instruction to children, referring to it as the first commandment with a promise attached to it for those who obey.
Elsewhere when God talked about Abraham as his friend, he sort of, boasted that he was sure that "Abraham will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just, so that the LORD would bring about for Abraham what he has promised him."
Obviously parents have the power to invoke blessings or curses upon their children.
The foremost way parents can ensure their children are blessed is to be blessed in the first instance. It is written, "Blessed are all who fear the LORD, who walk in obedience to him." There are a series of particular blessings listed for such people including the children being blessed. Thus a blessed man is a source of blessing for his children.
Secondly, parents can invoke blessings on their children by conditioning them to develop good habits, characters and behaviors that will guarantee their having the right lifestyle that would condition them to follow the way of God. God approves or disapproves of people's lifestyles as the owner of life. No one has the right to live as they please. Those who live as they please incure God's wrath as punishment and live under curse.
Thirdly, parents can and should pronounce blessings on their children without reservation. As earlier observed, they have the blessing of God to have their pronouncements on their children come to fulfillment unfailingly. Parents must never curse their children. The same power that invokes blessings also invokes curses when applied. No amount of provocation should move a parent to pronounce curses on their children. Disciplinary measures are the only approved means of correcting children, and never cursing.
Comments
Post a Comment