Creating the right environment for raising children

Environment! Probably most of us have come across this Word.  A good illustration that brings this word out is a seed in the soil. The soil serves as the primary foundation for the seed to germinate or grow into a plant. Beyond having the soil there are other factors that without the seed will not experience its fullness in growth. These are air, water, sunlight, and warmth. We can see from these factors that a seed needs not only an environment with soil but it needs the right environment that favours its growth. The right environment is inclusive of all the factors we have mentioned above.

The same principle applied to the seed is the same in raising our children successfully. Every Human being exists in an environment. Either it’s a healthy environment or a toxic one. It is right then to say that a healthy environment produces a healthy child while a toxic one produces after it’s own.

According to the Merriam Webster dictionary, the term environment has been defined as the circumstances or conditions by which one is surrounded. This word can also be defined as the conditions that one lives and the way that they influence how one grows. An environment shapes an individual’s life.

This means that we need to be on the forefront to set an excellent environment for our Children. What surrounds our children will affect them in one way or the other. It will inform their beliefs and behaviour. What surrounds them will one way or the other get inside them.

The Bible in Proverbs 22:6 (ESV) says “train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it”. The training part is very important as it is how a child will know the way. The training here also means setting the right environment that will go before or lead the child.

The following are various ways that we can create the right environment for our Children.

Prayer

The Bible says in 1Thessalonians  5:17 (ESV) that we should “pray without ceasing”. This should be incorporated with our children. It may be in our families or in fellowships. The key thing is to cultivate an attitude of prayer in our children.

Bible study

In Romans 12:3 (ESV) it says “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect”. It is through God’s Word that we get to know God’s will for our lives. Our Children will get to understand God’s will for them through time spent in Bible study. We need to create time to teach and instruct our children through God’s Word.

By our lifestyle

Children also learn by observation. If what we teach them does not align with our lifestyle, then we shall fail in raising them God’s way. James 1:25 (ESV) states, But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing. Beyond prayer and Bible study there is the part of living God’s Word in our lives. Children are a reflection of how we live or what we have allowed in their lives. Let us become good examples that we can look forward to having our children reflect us in the community

Its all up to us as parents to safeguard the future of our children by providing and cultivating an environment that will favour our children growing God’s way. This is pleasing to Our Lord Jesus Christ.

Blessings.