The PERSPECTIVE of Parenting
Geoffrey R. Kirkland
Christ Fellowship Bible Church (St Louis, MO)
THE PERSPECTIVE OF PARENTING
The Bible provides all the answers that parents need as they care for, teach, instruct, and minister grace and truth to their children in the home. Christians do not need to look elsewhere for help or for supplemental advice. God’s Word proclaims itself to be the all-sufficient Word to save and to sanctify the man of God so that he may be adequate — prepared for every single good work. And that even includes parenting! Parents must maintain the proper perspective in their work and duties.
The proper perspective that parents must have is a long-term focus in their work. Parents cannot live by the moment and be discouraged when they don’t see immediate results from their labors. Like a farmer, parents must be patient as they await the harvest. Like a fisherman, parents must diligently cast the line and await God to bring the catch. Undoubtedly, times will come when parents grow weary, tired, discouraged and frustrated because of diligent labors in teaching and discipline, and then it seems like all of that is totally forgotten because the child returns to his foolish ways and discipline is needed again. Don’t lose heart or grow weary. Remember: Paul tells believers not to grow weary in well doing. He even says that your labor is not in vain in the Lord! Persevere and press on! Stay focused and stay vigilant.
Christ has called you to this work and brought you to this moment and He will supply you with the necessary strength and grace to persevere through it obediently. So, when parents have faithfully taught and disciplined the children and then it seems like it fell on hard soil, and the child disobeys again, and then the parent is right back in that same discipline room with the same child (again!) — don’t lose heart! When a father gathers everyone together to lead in family worship and it seems like a particular night is a frenzy, with little involvement, and he begins to grow discouraged, let all parents remember that the work of parenting is not dependent on a one-day, or one-event performance. Rather, the proper perspective of parenting calls us to have a long-term focus. Parents must remember that a long, steady, consistent, habitual lifestyle of godliness, regular patterns of instruction and family worship (both formally and informally), and dinners together of conversation, love, laughing, and gospel-talk will, we trust, bring about great rewards in the long haul.
Finally, then, what’s the perspective in parenting? Don’t live by and parent for the here and now moment. Live and parent with the long-term perspective in view. Children must be trained up in godly character and habits so that they will be well-prepared to leave the home having received what parents have instilled in them all the years of childrearing. So parents must not grow weary and lose heart if a day goes bad, or if a family worship flops, or if there’s a season of regular, daily (hourly!) discipline of a child who continues in his wayward ways. Press on! Persevere! Keep your hand to the plow. Keep parenting with a long-term perspective. God will bless your labors!
This is part 2 of a 10-part blog-series on PARENTING.