BY JULIET EKWENUGO, Kaduna
A staff member of Arise TV, Benwet Owede, has dedicated his son, Jethro, to God, urging parents to prioritise the spiritual upbringing of their children alongside their material needs.
Owede made the call on Sunday after dedicating Jethro at the Salvation Ministries State Headquarters, Sabon Tasha, Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
The ceremony was attended by family members, friends, colleagues and members of the church.
Speaking on the significance of the dedication, Owede described children as gifts from God, saying parents should commit them to God for guidance and spiritual growth.
“Children are gifts from God. If God has given you a child, the best thing you can do is bring the child back to Him and dedicate him to God so that God can lead, guide and instruct him and make him dwell in His presence,” he said.
He said the dedication was also an expression of gratitude to God for blessing the family with Jethro.
“We know for sure that our son, Jethro, is a gift from God. We are taking him back to Him to say, ‘Father, thank you. This is the gift you have given us,’” he said.
Owede said while parents had a responsibility to provide for their children’s material and financial needs, they also needed divine guidance to raise them properly.
He said instilling the fear of God in children from an early age could help them make responsible choices, particularly in a society where young people were exposed to various negative influences.
“We may take care of the financial aspect, but what about the spiritual aspect? It is God who will guide him, lead him and instruct him on what to do and what not to do,” he said.
The media practitioner urged parents to begin nurturing their children in the word of God from an early age, stressing that spiritual upbringing was a continuous process.
He also advised parents to lead by example, noting that children often emulate their parents, guardians and other adults around them.
“My call to every parent is that you should know that you cannot train your children alone. As Christians, the Bible is the significant book you need to guide your children with,” Owede said.
He disclosed that the family had already begun introducing Jethro to Christian practices through prayers, worship and morning devotion.
“We have started praying when he is sleeping and we have started doing morning devotion together. Sometimes when he is crying and you play a worship or praise song, he will just keep quiet,” he said.
Owede further urged busy parents to make Christian teachings and messages available to their children at home and while etravelling, saying early exposure could help them grow in the fear and presence of God.
