In the past week I have attended three award ceremonies at our kids’ schools. Each one has brought tears to my eyes because another school year has gone by. They will never be these ages again. It was amazing to hear their accomplishments, to see their proud smiles, and to cheer them on to the next season of life. In those rooms it was all good news, but you only have to listen to the nightly news for five minutes or check Twitter once a week to know that we live in a dark world. This fact can be overwhelming as a parent. It can literally stop us in our tracks and paralyze us with fear about the future for our kids. But it doesn’t have to … I am going to say that again…
It doesn’t have to.
As a Christian, a follower of Christ, I have a hope that reaches far beyond the evil we see in this world. John 16:33 reminds us of the words of Jesus himself telling us, “In the world you will have tribulation (trouble). But take heart, I have overcome the world.” This is quoted from thousands of years ago. There has been sin in the world since the beginning and God promises that we can have hope because He will overcome it. How do we do this, you ask? How do we read the news and see the state of our world and feel good about sending our kids out into it? I believe that God has chosen us for this exact time in history to be parents of our kids. I believe that He has given us the weapons to fight the arrows of the enemy. I believe that we have to get beyond ourselves and realize that we will not meet this task on our own. I love Paul’s words in I Corinthians 11:1,
“Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.”
As parents, we cannot expect to have children that follow the ways of the Bible and of Jesus if we do not follow these ways. We must be diligent in speaking to our kids about Jesus each day and modeling this for them. I cannot expect my young children to prioritize being a part of a church community if I only casually attend once every six weeks. I cannot expect my kids’ habits to be imitating Christ if they never see that as a priority from me. We can allow this to be a huge pressure in our lives, but it doesn’t have to…I am going to say that again…
It doesn’t have to.
Why? Because we do not have to take this walk on our own. We have a daily invitation from Christ to trust Him. We have a chance each day to make choices that go towards Jesus. I hear all the time that there aren’t enough hours in the day to serve at church, or read our Bible or pray, but I think we would all be embarrassed to see the time stamp attached to how much social media or television programs we consume each week.
It doesn’t mean that this will always be easy. It takes sacrifice for sure. But I do know that when we commit to a faith community and join other Christians who are on the same journey, it gets easier. It becomes a priority. Once roots are in the ground, it becomes more of who we are. God longs for a relationship with us. James 4:8 says, “draw near to God , and he will draw near to you.” Keep pressing. Keep having hard conversations with your kids. Keep your family in church. Keep drawing closer to God and watch him fulfill His promise to draw nearer to you. Allow your kids to see you make mistakes. Ask for forgiveness. Tell them the truth. Give them space to make mistakes and help them walk through the consequences of them. Show up. Keep showing up. Draw near.
Draw near.
Draw near.
John 15:4 “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.”
Draw near.
Abide.
Trust.
Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge him and he will make your path straight.”
Written by: Taran Nelson. Taran is the Executive Director of Fathom Family Foundation and serves in ministry with her husband, Rev. Kyle, and their three children in Jacksonville, FL.
