Parents (Christian or otherwise) are finding it difficult to mange our children today; technology, social media and the new age lifestyle have hijacked them. Here are some tips for you, if you want your children back:

(Most of these are not mentioned in the Bible directly but all of these are based on Biblical principles. If you are blessed by this content, print this blog post and distribute it to people you know who will benefit from these tips)

1. Set an example yourself.

   1. If you are addicted to evil habits (cigarette smoking, alcoholism, drugs, pornography, being easily provoked, losing temper often, gossiping, playing Rummy / Dream11 / lottery, watching YouTube, wasting time on Social media), repent and turn away from them.

   2. If you are used to receiving / giving bribes, earning filthy lucre (sin tainted money that comes from stealing, robbing, adopting dishonest means, working in massage center / beauty parlor / shops selling alcohol, drugs and cigarettes, working in a bar or gym), visiting massage centers or beauty parlors or wearing makeup, doing yoga, karate or any such self-defense 'arts', confess them to God as sin and stop these evil practices right away.

   3. Do not spend your money on non-essentials or frequently ordering costly food or clothing; review your behavior. Sit down and write your income and expenditure account. (Use MS Excel if required). You are accountable for every rupee you earn; everything belongs to God - not just the 10%.

   4. Dress modestly. Don't expose your organs that need to be concealed. Mothers, do not wear low cut blouse, frock or anything that shows off your cleavage or navel; Do not wear tights, short skirts, leggings and spandex that accentuate your curves; Wear a shawl or a Dhupatta over your Churidhars or shirts. Do not wear T shirts and banians that bear texts on the front. Fathers, do not flaunt your six-packs or your biceps.

   5. Give off your money, little or much, to those who are in real need; do not lend; do not give money or anything to those who are lazy, lethargic or loitering around; do not spend on those who hold an entitlement attitude (like 'why? he is rich, let him spend').

   6. Eat with your children and at the right time. Wake up early and go to bed soon after your supper. Wash yourself clean; help each other in domestic chores; tidy your bed and clean your toilet.

   7. Work. Show to your children that it is necessary to earn your money by working and working hard. Do not compromise on morals to earn quick money. Do not submit false accounts or lies as reports (weekly, monthly annual or travel).

   8. Respect and honor your parents and render your duties and responsibilities to them heartily, not with a grudge.

   9. Aim for excellence in everything you do. Complete your activities before deadline; avoid paying late fees and penalties. Be accountable of your time.

   10. Respect traffic signals and keep the road rules always; don't ride or drive rashly. While riding with your children, keep telling your children why you did something that others did not comply with.

2. Pray for them

   1. For their Salvation

   2. For the Spirit to take over their life - spirit, soul and body (also known as the baptism of the Holy Spirit)

   3. For their protection from the evil one (D'evil)

   4. For their safeguard from sinful activities

   5. For guidance of the Holy Spirit when they are confused or in a panic situation not knowing what to choose

3. Study the Bible with your children.

   1. Guide them on how to be saved; show them the need for forgiveness from sins and the necessity of committing one's life to God by being born again. Don't shift this responsibility to the Sunday school teacher or the Pastor. Do not force them to be baptized in water without the Salvation experience and a commitment to live holy.

   2. Teach them the truth from the Bible - do not quote from extra Biblical sources like Thirukkural or Paradise lost when you are focusing on the Bible text.

   3. Show them examples from the Bible for good behavior and warn them of the consequences of evil works.

   4. Do not over emphasize on moral conduct; be open to tell them that evil is inbuilt in us and we cannot do right things by our own effort. (Empathize with them!)

   5. Give them hope that committing their lives to God and submitting to the Holy Spirit will enable them to shun evil, do good works continually and live a life pleasing to God.

4. Keep talking to them on various subjects of their liking (not always yours). Let them tell you about their day, their friends and their love interests (BF/GF if any). Always look for an opportunity to point to them to Christ, the Bible and the Saints during your conversation.

5. Do not shy away from topics related to sex, LGBQAIO+ or marriage; give them the freedom to ask you question; who else can handle this better than yourself?

6. Fellowship with the saints of your locality as many times as possible - not always on Sundays only. Let your children talk to the believers, elders and the Pastor or any visitor to your home.

7. Do not paint a rosy picture of life always. Show them the reality - pains, failures and disappointments - and make them a part of it. Do not always glorify comforts, success and achievements.

8. If they are old enough, let them make their own bed, clean their own washrooms and iron their own clothes.

9. Do not pamper them by buying them high-end and costly gadgets; make them understand the value of money.

10. Do not tell lies or make false promises even for fun. Do not cheat when you play with them.

11. Do not create a hype about yourself; don't show to your children a false face. They will be deeply disappointed when they come to know the reality.

12. Do not scold them for mistakes that are of little or temporary value; Do not beat or spank them if they cannot understand fully well why you are causing them physical pain; however, do not fail to punish them (physically or otherwise) for the evil activities that they commit or essential activities they omit, all of which have long-term consequences. Always let them know that you do this for their sake and essentially because you love them.

13. Show them clearly what are of real value in life and how these are different from the non-essentials, the inferior and the substandard. Set your priorities right.

(You can read more about this in my book "A brief His-story Of Time" available in this site https://www.jesusreigns.in . Click on 'More' from the Homepage. You need to click on the + beside the Resources button to access this book from a smartphone).