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| Ifeanyi Emetuche |
By Ifeanyi Emetuche
In a world that is constantly evolving—faster than we can sometimes keep up with—there remains one unchanging truth: the family is the bedrock of society. No matter how successful we become, no matter how much wealth we amass, one painful reality still looms large for many—a lack of a worthy successor. Nothing stings more than realizing that all you’ve built could crumble because there was no one adequately prepared to carry it forward.
The Legacy of Parenting: More Than Just Provision
Today’s world is incredibly demanding. Most parents are stretched thin, working long hours and multiple jobs just to make ends meet. And in the hustle of daily survival, something crucial is being lost—intentional parenting.
We are so busy providing for our children that we often forget to pour into them. Wisdom is not inherited; it must be taught, modeled, and nurtured. Children come into the world with empty hearts and open minds. If we do not fill those hearts with truth, love, discipline, and wisdom, someone—or something—else will.
Unfortunately, many parents have delegated the raising of their children to housemaids, nannies, gadgets, and television. This, however, is not how legacies are built. Children do not raise themselves, and character is not downloaded—it is cultivated through attention, conversation, correction, and affection.
Fathers and Mothers: Time to Reconnect
Fathers, when was the last time you sat down to talk with your sons—not just to instruct them but to truly hear them? Do you know what they do when they’re alone in their rooms? Do you understand their struggles, questions, and dreams?
Mothers, have you taken time recently to check in on your daughters? Do you know how they dress when they leave the house? Do you understand the emotional world they navigate every day?
Let us remember: children are seeds. Whatever you sow into them today—whether love, discipline, neglect, or indifference—will grow, take root, and bear fruit. If you plant wisdom, you reap stability. If you sow neglect, you harvest confusion and rebellion.
Preparing Children for Life and Marriage
Our daughters must be taught not just how to look beautiful but how to discern character in a potential spouse. They need to understand the heart of a man, and that education begins at home.
Mothers, have you taught your sons about the mysteries of womanhood? Have you shared your own experiences with them—not to shame or embarrass, but to prepare them? A son who walks into marriage equipped with emotional intelligence and spiritual maturity will thrive, and that preparation starts with you.
Introducing Your Child to Jesus: The Ultimate Priority
Proverbs 22:6 says, “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” This is not just a proverb—it is a divine mandate.
Before anything else—before school fees, sports practice, or social media accounts—introduce your children to Jesus. Give them the most important foundation: a relationship with their Creator. A child’s first encounter with faith should come through their parents.
But let’s not forget—faith is caught more than it is taught. Your child cannot trust a God they cannot see if they struggle to trust the parent they do see. Build that bond. Visit them at school. Be involved in their world. Their ability to believe in divine love begins with experiencing parental love.
A Word to the Children
To every young person reading this: obeying your parents comes with a promise. Ephesians 6:1-2 reminds us, “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor your father and mother—which is the first commandment with a promise.”
When you honor your parents, you invite blessings into your life. When you dishonor them, you grieve not just them but God. It is a dangerous thing to bring tears to the eyes of those who brought you into the world.
Parents in the Lord—your pastors, mentors, and spiritual leaders—also deserve your respect. They labor to nurture your soul, and your honor toward them opens doors for greater spiritual growth and favor.
If there’s a rift between you and your parents, seek to mend it. Reconciliation is always possible with humility and prayer.
Let’s Do the Needful
Parenting is more than provision; it’s preparation. Childhood is not just a phase—it’s the foundation. As we seek to build wealth and leave a legacy, let us remember that the greatest legacy is not what we leave for our children, but what we leave in them.
It’s time to return to intentional parenting. Time to sow seeds that will flourish. Time to do the needful.
Compiled By: Oluchi Omai
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