Tuesday Tidbits for Parents: July 21, 2020
Dear Parents,
It's tempting to think that if we do all the right things, our kids will turn out "just right." They will love and serve the Lord and be successful, safe, and happy, too! #Goals. Right?
But there is no one right way to parent; there is no formula that will guarantee such an end goal for our kids; focusing on their earthly joy and success "amounts to nothing in eternity"; and ultimately, there is no thing we can do to ensure that our kids will choose to follow Jesus. Only God can save.
So then, what should be our goal in parenting and how ought we parent? And what assurances do we have? Read this week's article from Desiring God for some excellent insight here or read a summary below.
Our goal as parents?
Our highest goal is to teach our children the marvelous truths of who God is, what He has done, and how He calls us to respond in loving submission to His lordship, while living this very faith out in our own lives in front of them.
How ought we parent, knowing that there is no fool-proof way to guarantee any certain end result for our kids?
- Love God most and best.
- Pray earnestly and frequently for God's help and leading as you parent your children.
- Be obedient to His leading.
- Train our children from his word to understand, and long to be, the kind of people He wants them to be.
- Teach them about the amazing sacrifice Jesus has made so that they might live in joy forever.
- Display joy in Jesus and the life we (and they can) have in God.
- Encourage them to love, trust, and enjoy God above all things.
What are our assurances?
We aren't promised that our kids will choose to follow Jesus or will have safe, easy lives. But "we are promised that God will be with us as we parent." And that is more than enough because He, Himself is our very great reward (Gen. 15:1). Not our children. Not the praise we may get for how awesome they might turn out if we do this or that. And because almighty God, the sovereign one will be with us, "we are free to trust not in our own efforts, but in the loving God who first entrusted these children to our care... we have perfect freedom to do all that we are able, drawing upon his strength, and then trust him for the result."
Read the full article here: https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/we-need-not-parent-in-fear
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