For I am persuaded . . . (Rom 8:38)
Raising kids. Wow! Did you ever think it would be this wonderful . . . or this challenging? Do you ever feel you’ve done enough for them? Do you ever feel you’re doing an adequate job in raising them? Do you feel this sense of guilt that you’re just messing things up when it comes to your parenting? Then join the ranks of the majority of parents!
For one thing, your guilt means something. It means you care about your kids. You want the best for them and you don’t want to do anything to hinder their progress or welfare. If you didn’t care then you would never feel that sense of deficiency about your parental role and skills.
But what do you do with that guilt? Is that what God wants you to feel? I don’t think so when it comes to scriptures like Romans 8:1 which says, “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus… So what do you do when you feel insufficient for the task of raising the gift of life God has given you? You switch over from condemnation to persuasion! That’s right . . . you can overcome that parental guilt and become confident in your calling of parenthood.
Listen to these scriptures: (2 Cor 3:5) Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God. (2 Cor 9:8) And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.
These verses talk about how our sufficiency to do all we need to do in life comes from God. God’s grace will abound to us in the most challenging moments of parenthood. All throughout your child’s life you will need to rely upon the Lord to care, guide, and provide for your children. From the cradle, to toddler, to school age, to tween, to teen, to adult . . . your kids will always be your children. You will need wisdom from God at every stage and you can count on God to supply it (James 1:5).
So how should we leave it then? Here’s a good one: Do your best, pray that it’s blest, Jesus takes care of the rest. Are you doing your best? I bet you are. Are you praying over your kids? It works! Then watch what the Lord will do for your children because ultimately, they are God’s because He gave them to you and you have dedicated them back to Him (1 Sam 1:27-28).
Hey, listen . . . you turned out pretty good by the grace of God. So now settle your precious heart before God and say concerning your children and your parenting . . . I AM PERSUADED!
Louie
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