They taught us that we are blessed to be a blessing. They taught us to use our talents and time to bless others. They taught us to serve others. They taught us to be givers. They taught us to be others- focused instead of self-focused.
For example, we are a very musical family. Instead of using our talents to win awards and things like that, they took us to resthomes every Easter and Christmas. We learned to use our talents to share the gospel and bless others.
We had a very large home with outside flats, and my parents used these to have tourists stay with us, to reach out to them and try to share with them the blessings of the gospel that someone shared with us.
These are just two examples.
A year ago, my husband brought a little shop to make into an outreach center as a way to bless others and share the gospel with them. Straight away my family jumped on board and have done everything they can to support us in it. During the school holidays one of my sisters had some time off her job, so she offered to travel down here and use her holiday time to paint the shop!
My parents have done us a huge favor by teaching us to serve others! Life lived for ourselves is so empty and not worth living. But a life lived first of all for God and then for others, is the most fulfilling life there is. What is the greatest commandments? To love God first and then to love others as ourselves. This is what my parents taught us.
So the first challenge to you and me is...Are we servants? Do we look for ways to bless others with what God has blessed us with? Are we others-focused? Do we use our talents, time, money, energy etc. to bless others and honor God?
And the second challenge is...Are we teaching this to our children? Are we teaching them to be servants or to be selfish and self-centered? Are we teaching them to live for themselves or for God and others? Are we teaching them to be givers or grabbers?
Are you teaching your children how to be fulfilled and satisfied?
Are you doing your children a favor by the way you are raising them?
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