“Bring him to Me” (Mark 9:19)

A desperate father asked the disciples of Christ to cast a demon out of his son. When they weren’t able to do it, a heated discussion followed. At that moment, Christ came on the scene and asked what was the trouble. The father explained, and Christ said, “bring him to Me”. He immediately obeyed and the boy was miraculously restored.

Children are a precious gift and responsibility for which God holds us accountable. They can be a great joy, and even a greater bitterness; they may be filled with the Spirit of God, or be possessed with an evil spirit. In all cases, the Word of God gives us one method for their improvement, “bring them to Christ”.

Oh, if only Christian parents prayed earnestly for their children every day after they’re born, or better yet, even before. Until they’re saved, the sin nature will always be there, so as a parent, it’s our solemn duty to come against it. When they’re small, we’ll likely see the first signs of a dumb and deaf spirit which prevents them from seeking God. Christ commands, “Bring them to me.”

But prayer is a fraction of what God requires. “Bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord” is hard work (Ephesians 6:4). You bring your children to Christ through thousands of good works which show how a Christian lives. If you aren’t living for Christ, you can expect your child to follow your example.

“What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works?… faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead” (James 2:14–17).

80 percent of kids raised in supposedly Christian homes depart from the faith when they leave home. These kids either backslide or they were never saved. Either way, it means, as parents, if we want to see our kids in heaven, we need to be “doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves” (James 1:22).