Parenting like God

Parenting is not for the faint of heart. It's tough, inconvenient, and just plain messy. I struggle between being too tired to even think, so I just say whatever to get the kids to move; to being romantic with their existence and I just give into anything they do. I know that my kids love me for who I am, but is who I am really effecting them in the best possible way?

You have probably heard the saying, "There is no manual for raising kids", but I beg to differ. The Bible is exactly what every parent needs to not only survive, but to create within each child, the heart to chase after God and become exactly who He intended them to be. 

That sounds a little daunting, but I will have to say, that if it wasn't for the Holy Spirit, I would be utterly lost. As a mom, I have come to the realization that my kids are not like everyone else's kids, but our Creator made them individually different on purpose. For a purpose that gives Him glory and honor. 

I have humbled myself to a place that in my heart, I know I need His help. I mean I didn't ask Jesus to be my Lord without the understanding that He needs to be Lord in every area of my life, but it is a daily humbling that brings me back to Him as my center for how I use my voice, my hands, and my decisions concerning my kiddos. 

The Bible talks about spanking, about honoring your parents, about not provoking your children. It talks about listening to your parents and giving a inheritance to your children. All in all, where is the balance of discipline? How tough should I be with wrong behavior? How much should I allow them to have of any good thing?

I was teaching last Wednesday night about the effects of being filled with the Spirit of God. When we become filled with the Spirit, we become filled with the very nature and power of God. Not only is God's love shed abroad our hearts when we accept Christ, but then being baptized in the Spirit, we have the nature and power of God to act just like He does, which is love.

So here is where it all comes down. We will have the most success as parents when we know what the Bible says concerning parenting and then do it. But we cannot forget also the element of how. How do we discipline? How do we speak to our children? How do we raise them?

We must look at how God responds to us when we make a mistake, or down right rebel. Does he yell at us? Does he correct out of anger? No. Though He is firm when it comes to sin, He is gentle and affirming to us. He draws us back into His presence by pointing out what we've done wrong and reminding us that we need to repent. 

Once we repent and make a change, He is quick to forgive and does not remember what we've done, also reminds us of our righteous position with Him. We must stop bringing up our child's past as a way to jab or remind them of their shortcomings. We must parent as God does. 

Even when we are growing, God never gives us what we cannot handle nor does He expect us to handle it well. It might be a stretch sometimes or a challenge, but whatever He does give us helps us to grow. Anything we cannot handle He won't give to us. Additionally, He doesn't give us anything that isn't good. How much more should we?

My heart behind this blog post is not to condemn, but rather encourage. You have what it takes to be an awesome parent. We are not perfect and we have made mistakes, but take the stance as Christ does. He sees you as forgiven and being perfected, so give yourself a break and forgive yourself of anything you feel you've done wrong. A lot of times, it's not as bad as we think.  

Take the reigns with God. Allow His presence, love and laughter exude from you with your kids. He loves them even more than we do, and He wants to work with us. He was the One that chose them to be your kids and He is the One that chose YOU to be their parents. He knew what He was doing and He gave us the tools to parent well. 

Spend time in His presence when you need to get your mind right. Spend time in His Word to find out how to raise your children in a scriptural manner. Ask the Holy Spirit for guidance concerning the uncertain and the unknown. He will give you the wisdom that you need. 

Parenting like God takes determination, discipline, and commitment. However, I can guarantee that when we apply the Word and allow His nature to flow through us, not only will we have more success in parenting, but the relationship that we have with our kids will become heaven on earth. 

Proverbs 22:6