I would like to offer some biblical and practical advice on how to parent well amidst pandemonium. Life is hard. No matter what age or stage of life you are in, there are trials and hardships. Though your child’s hardships look different than yours, and you might not even recognize theirs as actual hardships, they are real to your child. Their first heartbreak will wreck their world. The first real loss of a loved one will leave them questioning. Their first big disappointment will hurt them. But, all of these are teaching points that can train them to draw close to God throughout all the difficult times in their future. Also, there are turbulent times in our world that your child may not be aware of. For instance, the current polarization of our political climate and the state of moral decadence in our popular culture is affecting every aspect of life in a lot of ways, and children can be taught valuable lessons now that will affect how they view the world and impact the world when they are adults. As in most parenting, these conversations should come up “when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.” (Deuteronomy 6:4-7) When those moments arise, which are more often than you realize, I pray you will do the following:
- REMIND THEM WHO GOD IS.
- He is on His throne. (Psalm 47:8)
- He is good. (Nahum 1:7)
- He is the creator of us and all things. (Psalm 104)
- He is in control. (Hebrews 2:6-9)
- REMIND THEM WHAT JESUS HAS DONE.
- He sympathizes with our weakness. (Hebrews 4:15)
- He died for our sins. [Sin is that bad.] (Romans 5:8)
- He loved His enemies. (Matthew 5:44)
- He was a friend of sinners. (Matthew 11:16-19)
- He was in the world but not of the world. (John 15:19; 18:36)
- He rose from the dead. (1 Corinthians 15:55-57)
- The worst thing that can happen to you has been defeated by Jesus.
- REMIND THEM THAT THE HOLY SPIRIT IS WITH THEM.
- He is called the helper/advocate/counselor/comforter by Jesus. (John 14:16, paraclete)
- He will provide a way out of every temptation. (1 Corinthians 10:13)
- He empowers you to follow Christ. (2 Corinthians 3:18)
- He convicts you of sin. (listen to His still, small voice) (John 16:8)
- He empowers you to stand firm. (Acts 1:8)
- He empowers and gifts you to do big things for Jesus. (1 Corinthians 12)
- REMIND THEM THAT THEIR HARDSHIP WON’T LAST FOREVER.
- You won’t always have this same struggle on this earth. (1 Peter 5:10)
- You will have no struggles in heaven. (Revelation 21:3-5)
- REMIND THEM THAT GOD IS WORKING SOMETHING WITHIN THEM THROUGH THESE TURBULENT TIMES, IF ONLY THEY LET HIM. (Romans 5:3-5)
0 Comments