One day when my oldest son was being particularly obnoxious I told him he was an answer to my mother’s prayer.
“Really?” he excitedly asked.
“Yeah. My mom used to say, ‘I pray you have a son just like you so you can appreciate what I’ve had to put up with.’”
I was recently reminded of what a miracle it is if any of us raise good kids. Here are three reasons why.
1. We’re ungodly people trying to produce godly people.
I know I’m sure not godly. I’m pursuing it, like Paul commanded Timothy, but I’m still not there. Now that I’m over 60 I do notice I’m doing better. I don’t think it has anything to do with spiritual maturity though. It’s just that at this age sin takes a lot more energy than its worth.
2. We don’t have the advantages Adam and Eve had.
Before that nasty fruit incident, Adam and Even walked daily with the Lord in the garden. They knew God in a way we haven’t experienced. They could walk, talk, ask questions. Plus, they were created already grown and mature.
I know when my kids were born I was pretty much still a dumb kid myself. Oh, I didn’t think so at the time but looking back I realize how much I didn’t even know that I didn’t know in my 20s … and 30s … and 40s … and 50s ….
So we’re ungodly, immature people trying to raise godly, mature people.
3. None of us had perfect parents.
We’ve never even seen a perfect parent. We’re trying imitate something we’ve never seen and be something that doesn’t even exist – a perfect parent.
We are ungodly, immature people doing our best to be something we’ve never seen.
“Like begets like” so if even a single one of our kids turns out OK it shows Someone else has obviously been working behind the scenes. And that’ the good news. God is at work!!
God understands how desperately inadequate we are. And so He is at work on behalf of us and our kids. And He’s more concerned for our kids than we could ever be. He wants the best for them.
When I felt overwhelmed and like a complete failure I had to remind myself that this didn’t totally depend upon me and my ability. I had a strong Advocate on my side.
We can cry out to the Lord*** on behalf of our kids and family and see Him roll up his sleeves and go to battle for us. God is for us. God is for our kids. He is not going to walk away and leave us.
But he waits for us to invite him in and ask for his help.
He remembers we are nothing but flesh, a passing breeze…
Psalm 78:39
For he knows how weak we are; he remembers we are only dust.
Psalm 103:14
*** “Crying out to God” is not just another way of saying “pray”. It really helped us when we discovered the secret of this type of prayer through the book “The Power of Crying Out”. You can order the book here or read more about the concept here.
No Comments