If 'kids' is not the kingdom word for our children, what can we call them?

How about using the word, 'children'? The most common word for children in the Bible is 'ben' which literally means, 'the builder of the family name.' That's a name that is worth using, isn't it? Our children need to understand that they are helping to build the family name. This will encourage them to take pride and responsibility in their family. They will not want to do anything that will bring disrepute or dishonor to their family name. They are part of the team, along with their parents, to build the character and integrity of their family name.

Apart from "children, sons and daughters, offspring, lads and lasses," which are all Biblical names, we find many expressions of God's heart for children. These are wonderful expressions you can use when speaking about your children. Let's discover them together, shall we?

1. GIFTS.

Read Genesis 33:5; 48:9; Joshua 24:3; Ruth 4:13b; 1 Chronicles 25:4-6; Psalm 127:3-5

Our children are gifts from the hand of the Lord. They are given to us by God. We can call them our 'gifts'. What we call our children has an amazing impact upon their attitude and their behaviour.

I had a lovely revelation recently from Jeremiah 1:5, "Before I formed thee in the womb I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations." As I checked the word "ordained" in my concordance I was amazed to notice that the Hebrew word,"nathan" is a primary root word meaning "to give." God planned Jeremiah's future before he was even conceived! And God gave him as a "gift" to the nations.

Every child is a gift to the world! Isn't that exciting? Our children are not only a gift from God to us, but a gift to others. Each child God has given you is a gift from God to the world. Who knows which one will be another David, or Paul, or Einstein or Billy Graham! Or anointed and faithful builders, teachers, store managers or whatever! And of course, godly mothers and fathers. Praise God, the world will never be the same because of these "gifts" that you have brought into the world and will bring into the world.

2. BLESSINGS. Deuteronomy 28:4; 33:24; 1 Chronicles 26:4,5.

I remember a friend of mine with three difficult little children. She often referred to them as her 'brats'. One day God convicted her that these children were blessings from God and that she should acknowledge them as such. She began to call them her 'blessings'. As she changed her vocabulary, her attitude to her children changed. As she changed, her children changed.

Instead of being 'brats', they became the blessings she called them. These children are now fully grown today and are continuing to bring much blessing to their parents.

3. HERITAGE OF THE LORD. Psalm 127:3.

4. FRUIT OF THE WOMB. Psalm 127:3.

5. BELOVED FRUIT OF THE WOMB. Hosea 9:16.

I love the beautiful names God calls our children. Isn't this a lovely one? Not just the 'fruit of the womb', but the 'BELOVED FRUIT OF THE WOMB'! The context of this passage is that God was going to destroy the beloved fruit of their womb, because of their continual disobedience. However, it shows how God views children and also how the early Hebrews felt about their children.

Here's what some of the other translations say.....

NIV - CHERISHED OFFSPRING
RV - BELOVED CHILDREN
NAS - PRECIOUS ONES
NEB - DEAREST OFFSPRING
TJB - DARLINGS
NAS - TREASURES OF THE WOMB

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