Parenting With Purpose
RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE:
Genesis 22
Proverbs 22: 6
SHOW NOTES:
If you’ve ever seen a house constructed, you know that it wasn’t a random event. The necessary steps were taken to ensure the foundation was laid properly. The same also applies to our families and raising children! Fortunately, you don’t have to navigate parenting alone. There’s a blueprint in the Word of God for how to raise your children and set a firm foundation to sustain for years to come. Whether you’re raising babies or young adults, no matter the season of parenting you’re in, you can lean on the Lord to incorporate faith, rules, and Godly discipline.
Building a firm foundation for your children starts with you as a parent. If you’re unable to lead yourself, you won’t lead your children well, either. The practical first step is to get into the house of God. Sure, life is busy, but you’ll make room for what’s important to you. When you prioritize God's house, you will never be last. If you want a firm foundation for your family, you must follow Christ. As you follow Christ, your children will follow you and the pattern you set for them.
Be intentional, beginning with the end in mind. Have a vision and a plan for what you want your family to look like, and then take action to make it happen. God doesn't bless your intention; He blesses action. Bringing young children to church is not the easy route. Even if it’s inconvenient, God sees it as a seed of effort. Make God the highest priority in your home so that your child will eventually have their own encounter with Him, building their faith and relationship with Christ.
There is no such thing as a perfect parent or a perfect family. You will make mistakes. Humble yourself before God when you mess up. Remind your children of His forgiveness and grace, and consistently do the next right thing. The greatest thing you can do as a parent is to become a man or woman of God, a man or woman of prayer, and a man or woman of the Word because you teach what you know but reproduce who you are.
Just as we mess up as parents, it’s inevitable that at some point your child is going to in some way. In that moment, it’s important to be there to love them through it and remind them of who they are in Christ. Be there to reaffirm who they are with love and discipline. You’re not compromising what is right, but reaffirming their identity in Christ. Lashing out only risks them not coming to you in the future if something goes wrong. One of the roles of a parent is shaping our children with the words we speak over them. If Jesus didn’t know who He was, He could have given in to satan’s temptation. Because He was established in His father’s love, the wilderness didn’t phase Him.
Parenthood is constantly evolving, so you need to be willing to adapt. What worked with a toddler or elementary-aged student won’t work with your adult child. Your time investment in your children beyond those early years is the key to continuing to have a voice in their lives. It can be easy to think we reach a finish line when our children are a certain age. However, our preteens and teens need us more than ever! Parents are leaders. This might mean you’ll have to be the one to reach out to your children once they're grown, making relational investments, and finding points of connection.
Believe God is going to do a work in your family. It’s never too late; don’t allow the enemy to trick you into feeling hypocritical if you try to change now. Move forward in what you know is right, and live a life for God. Keep your children connected to faith and be intentional with your actions and prayers. No matter how old they are, never stop investing in and establishing the right foundations. Keep sowing in faith as you raise up giants in the faith, one generation at a time.