My Goal as a Parent

They say the dream of every parent is that their children will have it better than they did. I have grown to have a slightly different take than that. I want my children to have a more abundant entrance into heaven than my own.

2 Peter 1:10-11 teach us that a person's entrance into heaven may be either barren or abundant. Many Christian parents train their children to be nominal Christians at best so long as they have worldly comfort. In doing so they have given their children an eternal curse.

1. An abundant entrance requires Christian growth

• Faith
• Virtue
• Knowledge 
• Temperance
• Patience
• Godliness
• Brotherly kindness
• Charity

Do not come accidentally. They must be developed

2. An abundant entrance involves suffering
We are to fill up the suffering of Christ in this world. If we would be conformed to the image of Christ we must expect that we will suffer in this world as He did

3. An abundant entrance will be personal
Our children must know the Lord themselves. They must experience His life for themselves.

4. An abundant entrance means service
"Well done though good and faithful servant" can only possibly be spoken to those who have been servants of Christ.

5. An abundant entrance involves death to self
Paul said, "I die daily." It's a painful but essential truth to teach our children.