Meet The Parents

Today, I have prepared for you an incredible lesson. It is called “Meet The Parents.” I want to introduce you to several different sets of parents. They are all different. They represent several differ- ent types of parents out there in the world today. You might recognize some things about your own parents in some of their characteristics. And, now I would like you to “Meet The Parents.”

First, meet Parents #1

These parents are upset most of the time. They yell a lot, mainly because they have to yell over the noise their kids are making. They don’t trust their kids. They have hundreds, no thousands of rules in their house. When their kids ask to do something special, Parents #1 say the same thing every time.

say at the same time, “NO! We can’t trust you!”

And, now, meet Parents #2

Now, these parents are very different. They don’t have any rules. They let their kids do just about anything because they really don’t care about their kids. They would rather be watching TV than watching their kids. Oh, their kids love it when their parents let them play in the street, play with fire, and even play with pit bulls. They don’t have rules. Why would they? Rules are meant to protect, and these parents really have better things to do than to protect their kids. When their kids ask if they can go somewhere, even if its dangerous, they say

say at the same time, “Whatever! We don’t care about you anyway

How sad.

And, now, meet Parents #3.

walk out looking happy and excited to be here

These parents love their kids. They are happy most all of the time. They trust their kids. They give their children freedom to do things on their own when it is possible. They allow their children to make some of their own choices even. They believe in their kids. Because they trust their kids, there’s only one rule in the house, “Do What’s Right.” When their kids ask them if they can do something special, they always try to make sure the child has the opportunity because

say at the same time, “We love you and we trust you, kids.”

So, kids, now that you have had a chance to “Meet The Parents,” I want to ask you a ques- tion. If you had to choose which parents you would want, which would you choose? (allow the kids to yell out their response, understanding that some will yell out wrong answers just to get attention. Don’t even respond to those) If you are like me and like most kids in this room, you probably don’t want your parents always yelling at you, always mad, never trusting you like Parents #1, right?

Now, some of you might have thought for a second that it would be great to have parents like Parents #2 who didn’t have any rules. But, did you also notice that the reason they don’t have any rules is because they don’t care about their kids. They don’t care if they get hurt and probably wouldn’t even notice enough to rescue them if they did get hurt. They don’t care what happens to their kids. They are more concerned with themselves than they are with their kids. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want a set of parents like that. Then, we have Parents #3. They love, respect, and trust their kids. They allow them to do things because they trust their kids. And, how about that one rule of “Do what’s right?” Pretty awe- some. If I am choosing what my parents will be like from these three, I would choose Parents #3. How about you?

Now, I know what you are thinking. “What does it matter? I already have the parents I have. There’s nothing I can do about it. Nothing I do can change that.” You’re right. God has blessed us all with unique parents. Some of us live with Mom and Dad. Others of us might live with only Mom or only Dad. Still others might live with another relative or foster parents. But, did you know that you CAN determine what your parents are like? It’s true. The way you treat them and the way you respond to them will determine how they act, respond, and treat you. If you choose to do what’s wrong or if you lie, your parents can’t trust you and therefore won’t allow you to do things you want to do. If you argue and fight with your parents, then they will most likely be on edge and irritable most of the time. Today, I am going to give you three quick lessons from the Bible on how you can make your parents the best parents they can possibly be. Remember our Big Idea: What My Parents Will Be Is Up to Me. Sound good? Here we go!

Obeying your parents when you want to do things your own way is no fun. Right? Well, it might seem that way, but it is actually best for everyone . . . especially for you. Just look at what the Bible says in Ephesians 6:1: “Children, obey your parents because you belong to the Lord, for this is the right thing to do.” Now, why do you suppose God made such a big deal about obeying your parents? Because when you obey your earthly parents, you are learning to obey your Heavenly Father. And adults who obey God have the key not only to happiness but also to eternal life! Isn’t that awesome? Every time you obey your parents, you make God happy! Not only that, but every time you obey your parents you are showing them that you can be trusted. When parents trust their kids, they give them opportunities that other kids don’t get. They let you make some of your own decisions because they know they can trust you. We must obey everything our parents say.

Children who obey their parents have parents who trust them. You want parents who trust you? Obey them. Remember: What My Parents Will Be Is Up To Me!

The Bible says in Exodus 20:12: “Honor your father and mother. Then you will live a long, full life in the land the LORD your God will give you.” That’s a really cool promise. I don’t know about you, but I want to live a long, full life. So, how do you “HONOR” your parents? You honor them in the way you talk to them. We must not talk to our parents with a disrespectful tone. When things don’t go our way, we must not scream, yell, and fuss about it. That’s not honoring our parents. That’s dishonoring our parents. You also honor them in the way you act toward them in public. Don’t argue with them, that’s dishonor. When you obey and respect them in public, that shows them honor. Not only in public, but we must honor them in private as well. When kids show honor to their parents, their parents are happy. They are much more easy- going. Want your parents to be that way? Remember: What My Parents Will Be Is Up To Me!

This might seem simple, but it’s not. Many children don’t love their parents. Sometimes it is because they feel their parents aren’t fair. Sometimes it’s because their parents have hurt them in some way. Sometimes it is just because the kids are selfish. We must understand that the parents we have are a gift from God. They are OUR parents. God placed us in their care. We must show love to them. Not only show love to them, but TELL them that we love them. How can you show and tell your parents you love them? Write them a note, make them a card, give them a gift. The very best way is to walk up to them, give them a big hug, maybe even a kiss on the cheek, and say, “Mom, I love you.” Or, “Dad, I love you.” When you show your parents love, they can’t help but show love back to you. We all need love. We all want to be loved. So, let’s show love to our parents. Let’s honor our parents. Let’s obey our parents. If we will do that, we will have the kind of parents we want. Remember: What My Par- ents Will Be Is Up To Me!