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“PARENTS, HANG IN THERE”
PARENTS, HANG IN THERE
Roger D. Campbell
From the outside looking in, being a parent looks like one of the most stress-free, easy tasks that one could imagine. Reality hits home, though, once we become a dad or mom and we are the ones taking care of and being responsible for the little kiddies. Then, without our permission, those little ones turn into turbulent teens. Parents, hang in there!
God wants parents to love their children (Titus 2:4-5). He wants parents to teach them His righteous instructions (Deut. 6:7). He wants parents to be a pattern of good behavior for their children (Matt. 5:16). God also wants parents to discipline their children (Heb. 12:9-11). None of those matters are negotiable — God wants parents to do them, and He wants them done His way.
Sometimes we struggle to maintain our cheerful demeanor and sanity when dealing with our children —dealing with their facial expressions, attitudes, mouths, irresponsibility, ever-changing likes and dislikes, and their day-in-and-day-out stuff. Parents, hang in there! Keep on loving them, keep on praying for them, and keep on helping mold them into instruments conformed to the image of God’s wonderful Son (Rom. 8:29).
If you feel challenged to “hold it together” as a parent, believe me, you are not the first parent who has encountered some testy trials of your patience. Think about Jacob. Two of his sons, Simeon and Levi, acted inappropriately and caused Jacob’s name “to stink” in the land (Gen. 34:30). Your children may make choices which make your family name stink, too. Hang in there.
God’s children, those whom He had “nourished and brought up,” rebelled against Him (Isa. 1:2). If that ever happens to you, God knows your pain. Parents, hang in there.
David’s son, Absalom, sought to undermine David’s authority and peaceful life (2 Sam. 15-18). Your children may try that with you one day. Parents, if that ever occurs, hang in there.
David’s heart was broken when he lost more than one child to physical death (2 Sam. 18:33). Parents, if you have to face the horror of losing a child, or worse yet, experience the horror of seeing your own child turn away from the Lord and die spiritually, hang in there.
If your child tells you, “I hate you,” “I can’t wait to turn eighteen so I can move as far away from you as possible,” or “You have to be the worst mom/dad in the world,” hang in there. When people get all worked up, they say hurtful things that they do not really mean. Keep on loving them, praying for them, and doing your best —that is all you can do, right?
When the Jews were working feverishly to rebuild the wall around Jerusalem, their adversaries made a mockery of what they were trying to accomplish (Neh. 4:1-3). Sadly, some people today, out of ignorance or meanness, or both, make fun of Christian parents who are trying their best to raise their children in harmony with the Scriptures.
It is a real tragedy when other members of the church make fun of or talk behind the backs of parents who discipline their children, “drag” them to every single worship service and Bible class, restrict their use of the internet, phones, and TV, refuse to allow them to flaunt their nakedness in public, and demand that they speak respectfully to and about others. Brothers and sisters, if you are striving to raise your children by God’s Book, do not feel intimidated by the devil’s snickers, and do not let the whispers of worldly-minded children of God deter you from being the godly parents that your children need.
Parents, hang in there!
