Grace that is powerful

"God is far more interested in who we are becoming than what we are doing." -Alicia Bruxvoort

The relationship between us and the Lord is beautifully demonstrated through the very complex parent/child relationship. In Psalms it says a man with many children is blessed and respected by his opponents. Not only are we blessed to be parents, but in Proverbs we are also assigned the tremendous task of training up our children in the way they should go. Children are then commanded to honor the parents, their teachers here on earth. When we are teaching our children to trust that the guardrails we set for their behavior and their safety are for their good and, ultimately, God's glory, there is a huge lesson in that for the parent as well.

To set guardrails for our children and know how to raise them up in God's ways, we as parents must constantly submit to God's authority over us. The phrase "mother knows best" has always sounded absurd to me. As a parent, I have never felt more exhausted, full, short tempered, nurturing, helpless, and protective. We are hopelessly flawed as humans and as authoritarians in our families without Jesus. We do not even know what is best for us, much less our children. 

Our ultimate goal is not teach our children to submit to us (that will inevitably end in disaster), but to teach our children to submit to Christ. What better way to teach that lesson than in the transparency of our relationship with God? This is a perspective that is often lost in the chaotic details of each day. But regardless, below is a command from God to us, not only as believers, but as parents to our children.

"I urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling you have received: with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, and with diligence to preserve the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace." Ephesians 4:2-3

This is a powerful lesson communicated through great conviction. How can I find that balance with brain cancer, PTSD, and two four year olds that are on the tale end of three-nagerhood? Prayer. We can't make decisions and hope God's hand will be on it. We must ask God what is best for us as individuals and for what He knows is best for our children. If we don't have direction, we are not beseeching God's perfect will for our lives. If we are being swallowed by the guilt of our mistakes, we are not living in the peace that comes with the gift of God's grace. If we feel like we're doing pretty great at this parenting thing, pride has hardened our hearts to the hand of the Holy Spirit. If we are ruled by anxiety, we are not trusting the constancy and power of God's character. If we are struggling with any of these things, we are not on our knees enough. We do not have the prayer life we should. We can't do this perfectly, but we have access to a Savior that lived, died, and rose again flawlessly to save His people over and over.

Prayer is walking in accordance to God's will. Prayer is relationship. Prayer is submitting. Prayer is inviting the Holy Spirit to move in your life, heart, and mind. Prayer is the key to doing this thing well. We can have the best of intentions and still interrupt God's plan. Think before you speak. Pray before you make a decision and wait in patience for God's reply.

Are we humble enough to ask for help? Are we humble enough to admit we don't have the answers? Can we swallow the fact that what we want may not be best? Does it occur to us to seek God on our child's behalf?

Copyright 2016 ->Renee Sunberg