From the moment they’re born—and even before then—we’re filled with all sorts of worries, fears, and anxieties.
When they’re toddlers, we fret over their physical health and growth. As they grow up, we worry about teaching them what’s right or wrong, managing their emotions and tantrums, and supervising their studies so that they’ll hopefully do well in school.
When they become teens, we grapple with their hormonal changes and boy-girl relationships. As our children grow older, our worries and anxieties will increase, with the list of responsibilities growing longer and longer.
On top of all this, there will also be times when we lose our temper when we’re tired or when our children are throwing a fit. We worry over unpaid bills and mounting household expenses. We struggle with getting our kids to listen to us. We get frustrated when they grow distant or defiant.
At the Brink
There will be times when we’ll feel so overwhelmed as parents that we think: Help! I don’t know how to do all this.
When we’re pushed to the brink, we may realise that there are limits to how much we can do for our children. In these moments, we may feel far from the capable, confident, and calm parent we want to be. Instead, we find ourselves more like a young child—completely helpless and hopeless.
A Father’s Love
God knows what we’re going through because He, too, is a father. Throughout the Bible, God is described as a father whose tender love and compassion has both fatherly and motherly dimensions. And He has children whom He loves, provides for, protects, and guides.
In fact, the Bible describes God as a “father to children whose fathers have died”, who “takes care of women whose husbands have died”, and who “gives lonely people a family” (Psalm 68:5–6).
Our Stubborn Rebellion
God also knows what it’s like to have rebellious children. That’s because even though He wants to relate to us as a father, many people choose to ignore His presence, rebel against His authority, and lead their lives their own way—just like our children sometimes do.
When we’re pushed to the brink, we may realise that there are limits to how much we can do for our children.
And just as there are consequences when our children do something wrong, there is also punishment for those who reject the creator God. This punishment is to be banished from His presence forever, such that they cannot approach him.
But there’s good news. The Bible tells us that God loves us so much that “He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).
God Meets Our Needs as Parents
Of course, believing in Jesus doesn’t mean that all our family’s problems or parenting challenges will go away. Rather, it means that God, as our heavenly Father, will help us meet
all our needs as well as our children’s needs—in a deep, soul-satisfying way that nothing and no one else can.
God promises to give us peace in exchange for our worries.
He’ll help us to feed and clothe our family, and give us wisdom and strength to raise our children right in a world where so much is wrong. Not only that, He promises to give us and
our children a new life and hope that can only be found in Him.
Today, let’s ask God for His peace, hope, and strength that only He can give us to raise our children well. He is waiting to welcome you with open arms.
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