Souls to be Loved!

It’s hard to believe that the same man who wrote the book of Ecclesiastes also wrote Psalm 127. Solomon did not put God at the center of his life. He chased down rabbit trails to find meaning and fulfillment only to discover that he had been chasing the wind. Only later did he realize that “unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it; unless the Lord guards the city, the watchman keeps awake in vain” (Psalm 127:1).

Here is a question to all us as we celebrate our youth today. Do your children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and others know that God is at the center of your home? I don’t mean if you have a large family Bible sitting on the coffee table. Is God really at the core of your life? Are you known as one who turns to God in prayer in the midst of difficulty? Are you known for praising God for His many blessings? Are you known for reading , meditating, and applying the Word in your life?

Solomon tells us that parents possess the greatest influence in their child’s life. Children look to you and will remember how you handled the issues of life. Solomon continues in Psalm 127 by reminding us that children are a “gift from the Lord” (Psalm 127:3). Thomas Short (“Christian Marriage,” Pulpit Digest) gives us a helpful reminder:

All husbands and wives borrow their children. Our children are not our own. Our children belong to God. He has loaned them to us for a season. Most marriages contain these borrowed jewels. They are not ours to keep but to rear. They are not given to us to mold into our image. They are not given to us so that we can force them to fulfill our lives and thus, in some way, cancel our failures. They are not tools to be used, but souls to be loved.

What a line: “[children are] souls to be loved.” We are celebrating our youth this morning. They are our assignments by God to faithfully teach them about their Creator. They are not mistakes nor are they accidents. They are a gift from the Lord. Let’s tell them how much we appreciate their lives.