How is Your Crop Growing?
Joey and Carla Link
August 2015
I was driving by some corn fields recently and was thinking about all the work a farmer puts in to get those corn plants into the ground. From the off-season planning to working on the equipment to be sure it is in good working order to planting the corn and to the fertilization of it, all to produce a product that will yield him a great crop.
I got to thinking how similar it is for parents in preparing for and in training and raising their kids. We too have to start with planning to have children and making many decisions as to what kinds of bed they will have when we bring them home from the hospital to what type of school they will go to, to what kind of words we allow to come out of their mouths or clothes they will wear, all of this plus dealing with the same kind of weeds a farmer has to spray for to kill these and other insects that can destroy a good crop.
Just as a farmer must watch after his investment to be sure nothing will get near their crop that would destroy it, parents need to keep watch over their children, ensuring their kids aren’t poisoned by the often destructive morals of peers. I Corinthians 15:33 says,
“Do not be deceived, bad company ruins good morals.”
Parents want to protect their children/teens from all company that would be bad for them until they mature and can stand against the high winds and storms of life that God allows to come along to both water and strengthen their kids as they mature and grow.
Knowing when to step in and help your kids and when to back off to see if they can stand on their own two feet is as difficult for parents as it is for a fruit tree farmer knowing when to take away the support forms holding up his newly planted tree. Stepping back and seeing if your child/teen is ready to manage a given behavior/responsibility on his own is a necessary action parents must do over and over again throughout the growing up years of their child. After all, if they need more support before they can manage this issue on their own, wouldn’t you want to be the one to stand alongside, supporting him?
Just as a farmer carefully drives around his fields several times a week keeping watch, we would like to encourage you to purposefully and intentionally look at your children’s lives daily (or several times a week) to take inventory of their character to see how they are doing and how you need to offer support to your most precious investment.
John said in 3 John 4:
“I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the faith.”
We hope you enjoy your children as you raise a crop that will yield 100 fold.