Luke 2:52
And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man
This is a prayer I speak over my children every night. That they would grow in wisdom, stature, and in favour with God and man. Jesus had to grow in these things – and so do we.
Wisdom
Imparting wisdom to our children is one of the main assignments as Kingdom parents. What is wisdom? Wisdom is the application of God’s Word to daily life. Correct knowledge comes from knowing the word of God. As Kingdom parents, our first step in teaching wisdom is teaching knowledge. Read the Bible aloud over your children, play praise and worship music while cooking or in the car. Fill their ears (and therefore their minds) with the truth of God’s Word over and over again. Give them knowledge, it is the beginning of wisdom.
Stature
Stature has to do with physical characteristics such as height and build. But stature also encompasses overall physical development, particularly discipline.
Sometimes we assume that because Jesus was the Son of God He was able to take shortcuts to maturity. That is simply not true. Jesus was just like us in every way, except that He was without sin. He experienced the same temptations and frustrations, he got hot and cold and became weary and needed sleep just like we do.
We can see the lack of stature in society today. There are adults who are still children; Unable to put the phone away, unable to get to work on time, unable to stay out of debt, unable to speak to other adults, unable to govern and self-regulate. Stature is growing in discipline and self control – in other words, growing in the fruit of the Spirit.
Favour with God
To know and receive God’s favour, we need to teach our children to develop a personal relationship with God. Loving God, Loving Others – obedient to the will of God. To grow in favour with God is to be faithful and obedient.
Numbers 12:6-8
When there is a prophet among you, I, the Lord, reveal myself to them in visions, I speak to them in dreams. But this is not true of my servant Moses; he is FAITHFUL in all my house. With him I speak face to face, clearly and not in riddles; he sees the form of the Lord
Acts 13:22
…He made David their king. God testified concerning him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he WILL DO EVERYTHING I want him to do’
Moses and David both found favour with God because of their faithfulness and obedience. When we learn as a church family to hear the voice of God together, it is not so we can avoid trials in life. It is so we can learn to live by faith and see His faithfulness.
We teach & demonstrate to our children and those around us that a personal relationship with God & living a life of faith brings about the favour of God. Train your children and those around you to love and trust God. Teach them by example how to live a life of faith. Show them prayer at home and at work, show them Scriptures at home and in your office – let them see who is the real Lord of our lives.
Favour with Man
Where do you think Jesus learned how to talk to elders respectfully? Where did He learn compassion for the poor and the sick? Where did He learn how to build good relationships? All these amazing things he demonstrated in his adulthood he first learned in his childhood.
Joseph & Mary were chosen by God – not by accident, but by purpose – Jesus needed people who could model love and compassion and kindness and positive relationship-building. We see the fruit of good kingdom parenting in the life of Jesus. As a Kingdom Parent, children and people are watching you. And if you have something good, they will want to be just like you. For parents, your children will very likely turn out to be just like you, make sure you live like the kind of person you want them to be.
The favour man can open doors, create opportunities, and call you into things and places you have no right being in.
Kingdom Parenting – Wisdom & Stature & Favour with Man & God
Helping others grow in wisdom and stature is hard work… its hard to grow in it for self, it is really hard to help your very own children to grow in it, it is even harder to help people outside your closest loved ones to grow in wisdom and stature (workplace), and even worst, it is almost impossible to be willing to help your enemies grow in wisdom and stature… yet God is asking us to be Kingdom Parents.
A challenge I give to myself and this church family. Will you be like Joseph? Joseph is not mentioned much in the Bible, it only says that, “he was a good man”. Yet Joseph played one of the most influential roles in Jesus’ life – his earthly father. The impact a father makes on a person… no one can calculate. Yet we all understand it is critical. This world needs Kingdom fathers and mothers – Kingdom parents – will we be willing and obedient to be that for others?
From the response I saw on Sunday, I think we are willing, let us now be obedient. Amen.