A Father and a Priest in your House!

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A Father and a Priest in your House!

By Dickson Tumuramye


When I was growing up, our daddy made going to church compulsory. It was like an abomination for one not to go to church on Sundays. Surprisingly, he is not even born again but he takes church very seriously. We were heavily punished if he learnt that we dodged going to church.

This was coupled with waking up at 5am to pray before they assign us different tasks. It did not matter whether you were sick or not, prayer time was looked at as a moment for each one of us to have a conversation with God before the sun rises. I now look back and see my love for God and I am grateful to such upbringing. Later it was not hard for me to make a personal decision to receive Jesus Christ as my Lord and Saviour.

Every father is expected to be a priest in his home. You are solely responsible for directing your children in a way they should go and when they grow up, it is hard for them to divert from it (Prov. 22:6). And you fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord (Ephesians 6:4). This is the greatest commission we have over our children.  

This involves giving instructions to our children, discipling and teaching them in the fear of the Lord.
Even for one to be a bishop/pastor/elder in church, one of the requirements is that he should be one who rules his own house well, having his children in submission with all reverence (1 Tim. 3:4) and his children must be believers who don’t have reputation for being wild and rebellious (Titus 1:6 NLT). This quietly implies that spiritual leadership starts from your home. Your family is your immediate Jerusalem that Christ calls us to begin with while preaching before we run to other parts of the world. According to Genesis 18:19, for I have known him, in order that he may command his children and his household after him, that they may keep the way of the Lord, to do righteousness and justice. This was God talking about Abraham. 

When God gave us the greatest commandment, He commands us to teach his commands to our children diligently, repeat them over and over again, talk about them  when we sit in our house, when we walk by the way, when we are going to bed, and when we rise up (Deuteronomy 6:7). I think this what my daddy used to do to us daily to ensure that we have devotions. 

Therefore, plan to see that daily there is devotion in your house whether you are a believer or not. This will impart discipline in your children and the fear of the Lord. You will live not to regret the time you invested in teaching your children yourself. If you want your children to follow the God you serve, be an example by showing them how you do it.

The writer is a child Advocate and a Parenting coach.

tumudickson@gmail.com

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