Don’t we all feel that way as parents sometimes? The nurture, care and responsibility to raise
children in this time and culture is certainly not a job for the faint of
heart. As I listen to the joys and
challenges other parents face, and as I am a fellow struggler in the parenting
years, I have concluded that God allows us to be parents that we might
understand His heart in a deeper way.
Before we were blessed with our youngest daughter, we lived
in a big elegant Victorian home. I
remember an artist friend questioning why in the world I would want to have
children. She said, “but you have such a
nice life!”. It’s funny what people
sometimes value – isn’t it? I would give
up that “nice life” over and over again for the joy my daughter has brought me. No material possession even compares to the
privilege of being a parent.
God created the universe.
In some ways, we could say that before He created Adam and Eve, God “had
a nice life.” There was eternal oneness,
unity and fellowship between Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (John 1:1). God made a pristine, beautiful world (Genesis
1:1-25)…and this section of Scripture ends with “And God saw that it was good.”
The Psalm 103 speaks about angels that sing God’s praises, and Psalm 104
describes God as being “clothed with
splendor and majesty” – being all-powerful as He set the heavens and earth
into place. It would seem that God
really did “have a nice life”, yet He desired children. It was God’s desire to be a Heavenly Father
to many. He above all others could
forsee the obstacles and heart aches that parenting can bring. But He still chose to create us, love us,
send a Savior for us, and embrace us as the objects of His lavish affection.
When parenting is difficult and even heart rendering, I am
reminded of what God goes through as He lovingly parents us. As older adults we can identify with the
turmoil our children go through growing up, because we were there once. As Pastor Mike says, “we were never their age
in this age” which is so true, but certainly our hearts can remember just how
hard it is to grow up. Sometimes – the mind games and temptations that can
battle in a young person’s soul are fierce.
As believers we know with every fiber of our being that if our children
took strides in their spiritual lives, it would make their road so much
better. We long for them to embrace their
spiritual heritage, to fall in love with God’s Word, to place high value on
Christian friends and fellowship, and to come to understand, by personal
experience, the wonder and power of prayer.
We long for our children to know these things by their own experience.
Then, with the shoe on the other foot I ponder, now how does
the Heavenly Father long for me, as His child, to grow and understand His truth
in a deeper way? Do I take the time
often enough to recall my spiritual heritage, and to appreciate those who have
made God’s Word come alive to me at different points in my life? How am I doing in the area of delighting in
God’s Word as being “sweeter than honey to my mouth” (Psalm119:103)? Do I place enough value on Christian
friendship – not just visiting and having fun together (even though that is
important), am I having true fellowship with my Christian brothers and sisters
and sharing the deep things of the faith?
Do I understand how much I need the support of my Church family to be
strong in this world? Do I daily
participate in more than superficial prayer?
When is the last time I cried over my sin, or danced before the Lord in
joy and thanksgiving?
As we long for our children to mature spiritually, I am
reminded that we need to show them how to grow not only in word, but by
example. God loved us enough to send His
Son to live and walk among us and show us “how it’s done.”
Lord, thank you for privilege of being a parent and for the
opportunity to know your heart better.
May we learn to treasure our children, as you treasure each one of
us.
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