FOCUS LIVING: Arrows in Your Quiver: Raising Children as God's Warriors
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Scripture Foundation: Psalm 127 (written by Solomon) - "Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are children born in one's youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them."
The Metaphor Explained:
In archery, a quiver holds arrows. In Christian context, children are the arrows, parents are the warriors, and the family is the quiver. Parents must prepare these "arrows" to be launched into the world to protect and build God's kingdom.
Solomon's Three Metaphors:
1. The House: "Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain"
God must be involved in building families
Partnership between parents and God, not parents working alone
If God isn't central to family building, efforts are meaningless
2. The City: "Unless the Lord watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain"
Parents are guards protecting their family
Divine partnership required for effective protection
Human effort without God's involvement is futile
3. The Arrows: Children are weapons prepared for spiritual warfare
Must be properly crafted to hit their target
Launched from the strength of parent-God partnership
Stronger the pullback (preparation), more accurate the aim
Family as Society's Foundation:
Families are the basic units forming communities. Strong families create strong societies; broken families result in broken communities. Satan targets families because destroying them weakens God's entire design. This is why marriage (not just cohabitation) is crucial - it's God's institution protecting families.
The Five Essential Values to Install in Your "Arrows":
1. Salvation Teaching:
Teach what salvation means and how to obtain eternal life
Emphasize personal surrender to God (parents can't make this decision for children)
Only through Jesus's blood and resurrection can they receive new life
2. Dedication:
Proverbs 22:6 - "Train up a child in the way they should go"
Dedicate children to God's service from birth
Model dedication yourself - children copy and paste behavior
When hardships come, they must see parents don't run but stay dedicated
3. Family Values:
Choose godly values different from world's standards
"We are in this world but not of this world"
Choose not to swear, lie, steal - pursue holiness
Create family traditions: affirmations at 13/21, thanksgiving discussions
Display values visibly and discuss frequently
4. Fear (Reverence) of the Lord:
Psalm 128:1 - "Blessed are all who fear the Lord"
Fear means honor and respect, not terror
Act as if royalty were visiting your home constantly
Teach children God is friend and father but deserves awe and respect
5. Belonging:
Primary human need is to belong somewhere
If children don't belong in family, where will they?
Part of physical family first, then church family
Learn to serve God and others within community of believers
The Launch Process:
Parents must prepare to release their arrows. Children don't belong to parents - they're entrusted by God to be raised for His purposes. Lynette's example: daughter moving to Canada required accepting that "God loves her more than I do" and trusting the preparation was complete.
Partnership Reality:
This isn't passive parenting - it's active partnership with God. Parents continue praying lifelong (Lynette's 87-year-old parents still pray daily for their children).
Malachi 4:6 Warning: "He will turn hearts of parents to children and children to parents, or else I will strike the land with total destruction."
Key Questions for Self-Evaluation:
Are you partnering with God to build, guard, and raise your arrows?
Are you preparing arrows to hit correct targets when launched?
Will your preparation enable them to protect future families and communities?
Takeaway: Children are God's arrows placed in parents' quivers to be carefully crafted through divine partnership, then launched into the world as kingdom warriors. Success depends on instilling salvation, dedication, godly values, reverence for God, and sense of belonging before release.
The Metaphor Explained:
In archery, a quiver holds arrows. In Christian context, children are the arrows, parents are the warriors, and the family is the quiver. Parents must prepare these "arrows" to be launched into the world to protect and build God's kingdom.
Solomon's Three Metaphors:
1. The House: "Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain"
God must be involved in building families
Partnership between parents and God, not parents working alone
If God isn't central to family building, efforts are meaningless
2. The City: "Unless the Lord watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain"
Parents are guards protecting their family
Divine partnership required for effective protection
Human effort without God's involvement is futile
3. The Arrows: Children are weapons prepared for spiritual warfare
Must be properly crafted to hit their target
Launched from the strength of parent-God partnership
Stronger the pullback (preparation), more accurate the aim
Family as Society's Foundation:
Families are the basic units forming communities. Strong families create strong societies; broken families result in broken communities. Satan targets families because destroying them weakens God's entire design. This is why marriage (not just cohabitation) is crucial - it's God's institution protecting families.
The Five Essential Values to Install in Your "Arrows":
1. Salvation Teaching:
Teach what salvation means and how to obtain eternal life
Emphasize personal surrender to God (parents can't make this decision for children)
Only through Jesus's blood and resurrection can they receive new life
2. Dedication:
Proverbs 22:6 - "Train up a child in the way they should go"
Dedicate children to God's service from birth
Model dedication yourself - children copy and paste behavior
When hardships come, they must see parents don't run but stay dedicated
3. Family Values:
Choose godly values different from world's standards
"We are in this world but not of this world"
Choose not to swear, lie, steal - pursue holiness
Create family traditions: affirmations at 13/21, thanksgiving discussions
Display values visibly and discuss frequently
4. Fear (Reverence) of the Lord:
Psalm 128:1 - "Blessed are all who fear the Lord"
Fear means honor and respect, not terror
Act as if royalty were visiting your home constantly
Teach children God is friend and father but deserves awe and respect
5. Belonging:
Primary human need is to belong somewhere
If children don't belong in family, where will they?
Part of physical family first, then church family
Learn to serve God and others within community of believers
The Launch Process:
Parents must prepare to release their arrows. Children don't belong to parents - they're entrusted by God to be raised for His purposes. Lynette's example: daughter moving to Canada required accepting that "God loves her more than I do" and trusting the preparation was complete.
Partnership Reality:
This isn't passive parenting - it's active partnership with God. Parents continue praying lifelong (Lynette's 87-year-old parents still pray daily for their children).
Malachi 4:6 Warning: "He will turn hearts of parents to children and children to parents, or else I will strike the land with total destruction."
Key Questions for Self-Evaluation:
Are you partnering with God to build, guard, and raise your arrows?
Are you preparing arrows to hit correct targets when launched?
Will your preparation enable them to protect future families and communities?
Takeaway: Children are God's arrows placed in parents' quivers to be carefully crafted through divine partnership, then launched into the world as kingdom warriors. Success depends on instilling salvation, dedication, godly values, reverence for God, and sense of belonging before release.
