Don't Give Up!
And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. -- Galatians 6:9
Do you wonder if your children or grandchildren will become the responsible, faith-filled adults you hope for? Do you think your efforts are in vain? I think most Christian parents collapse, exhausted every night. I certainly did.
The kid-crazies carried on non-stop when my children were preschool-aged, like a three-ring circus. Once, I heard a crash because my neurodiverse son tore down the shower rod again, imitating his favorite superhero. Desperate for him to stop, I took him with his piggy bank to “pay” the landlord for the damage. Another time, he arced the prongs of a plugged-in nightlight. I found him sitting amid the shattered glass beside the scorched spot above the outlet, howling with fright. I praised God he was okay, and that our house didn’t burn down!
My girls had their things going. One day, our white calico cat sported her new pink fur. Did the girls color her? Perplexed, I checked it out. I felt relieved that Sundae had rolled in their sidewalk chalk art. They might have thought about coloring her, though. Whether my older daughter bit her brother, retaliating for something he did to her earlier, or when I walked into the living room to find my toddler scaling a bookcase to get a better view of the activity below, there was never a dull moment.
I sighed with relief at church when the children’s church leader took the kids downstairs. A scowling woman in front of me was a telltale sign one of my children had crawled under the pew again, fidgeting with the bow on her shoe. Will my kids be able to sit in church with their families someday? Every night, I crashed in bed, exhausted from trying to quell my children’s antics. Would they ever grow up to become valuable contributors to society and be salt and light for Christ in our world?
We can find encouragement from the Bible in Galatians 9:6 to never give up. The Apostle Paul was no stranger to discouragement ministering to his fledgling churches—his spiritual children. Some likely lived like their pagan neighbors, as seen in Galatians 3 when he called them out, “O you foolish Galatians!” He probably felt discouraged helping them grow up in their new Christian faith. His spiritual children were surrounded by a pagan culture that didn’t believe in God and was hostile to the gospel. But in chapter 9, we read that he encouraged this young church in modern-day Turkey to keep doing good for others, especially other believers.
This passage encourages parents to never give up on their children. Other people may criticize our parenting, or our children may defiantly tell us they hate us or refuse to go to church. Yet the Bible encourages us not to give up on them. Trust that the Holy Spirit will work through what you do for your children. Let Him do his part as you do yours. Blessings will eventually come.
Questions for Reflection:
1. Have you ever been so exhausted by your children's exploits that you have just collapsed into bed in frustration? What did you do about these feelings?
2. When these types of situations happen do you dig in or tune out? Do you offer your frustrations to God in prayer?
3. Have you ever considered digging just a little deeper into God's Word for encouragement and guidance in raising your children?
******
Charlaine shares about parenting her son with ADHD in “Operation Christmas Rescue!” which appears in Renewed Christmas Blessings, a 3rd Place Golden Scroll Award winner in the compilation category.
