Key Scripture: 

Ecclesiastes 3:2a “a time to be born, and a time to die;” 

Devotional:

The birth of a child is a momentous occasion in a parent’s life. It marks the beginning of a new season filled with excitement, responsibility and immense love. God has a perfect plan for each child’s life, He has entrusted us with the privilege of raising and nurturing them. As a dad who coached my son’s many baseball and football teams, we preach to the players that there are two things you can control: attitude and effort. As parents we can’t control everything about our children’s lives, but we can control our efforts in how we raise them and, in whose name, (God’s) we raise them. Embrace the season of birth and recognize the unique potential that lies within your child. Just as there is a designated time for a child to be born, as parents we need to recognize the significance of this season and embrace change to our role with joy and dedication.

Knowing when I carried that baby out of the hospital, that I was fully responsible for keeping him alive, might have been the scariest thing I have ever felt.  Why in the world would they think I have the skills and knowledge to keep him alive? But as the days went on, I realized that God had already given me all the skills and instincts I needed.  Now with older children, I am learning that I cannot protect them from all the bad things in this world. I need to let go and again trust God, knowing that He is in full control of their lives and loves them even more than I do!

As our children grow, we must release our tight grip and give them room to make their own decisions, learn from their mistakes and develop their own identities. I think about some of the first times of letting go of control, watching from a distance and allowing them to play on the playground without being right there to catch them if they fell, or letting them fish in kayaks in the creeks knowing that I have prepared them for anything that might happen. There is a time to let go of our parental authority, trusting that God will guide and protect them.

Embrace parenthood, recognize the significance of the season of parenthood and the privilege it carries. Approach parenting with love, patience and gratitude, knowing that your child’s life is a gift from God.

Trust that God has a perfect plan for your children’s lives. Allow Him to work in their hearts and guide their steps. Pray for wisdom to discern when to intervene and when to step back, knowing that God’s timing is always best. Equip your children with verses to have seeded in their hearts such as:

Joshua 1:9 “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Proverbs 30:5 “Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.”

Mark 12:29-31 Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength’.  The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

John 10:10 “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.  I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”

Questions for reflection:

• In thinking about your kids, what is one area where you are not fully trusting God and His plan?
• What is one way you can fully embrace the season that you are currently in and steward how God has called you to parent well?