Hope for Parents When We Feel Like a Failure - Denise Pass

Scripture of the Day:

Isaiah 54:13 (NIV)

“All your children will be taught by the LORD, and great will be their peace.”

Hope Discovery of the Day:

God has our back when we feel like we have failed as parents.

Parenting is not for wimps, James Dobson once said. (Or at least I think he did – in all the blur of parenthood, I sought out lots of advice, and this one stood out to me when I was tempted to just have a moment and curl up in a ball in a corner somewhere).

This momma of five was breathing a huge sigh of relief last night. Sitting in a meeting for the graduation of my fourth child, I sat there in wonder – God enabled me to make it all the way through with home schooling and graduating four children. We did it. Not that I ever doubted God, but His vessel had some moments over the years where she was beckoning for the mighty yellow bus to pull up in front of my driveway.

And though, LORD willing, I still have years ahead of me as I home educate my youngest son, seeing what God has done in the past informs my view of the future. There are obstacles and learning disabilities to overcome. Moments where we all lack fortitude and endurance. But in all those moments, we have a great God, spurring us on and asking us to answer His call.

Even more than the satisfaction of reviewing all we did in the past 21 years of educating, I marvel at what God did in our hearts. The character I sought to develop in my children has held. They aren’t perfect and I am not perfect, but our God is. And He is always faithful. It was never all up to us in the first place. God calls us to be faithful, but when we are in God’s word, He inspires us and completes the work He has called us to. And truly, I can only be faithful by the grace of God.

So I echo what became my mantra in the hard moments of parenting, with an added twist – parenting is not for wimps – but our God is mighty. I started on the journey of home educating with an earnest desire to first and foremost help my children to know our great and loving God. His Word was at the foundation of all we did. And when we had meltdowns or sorrows and suffering that threatened our ability to continue, His grace and strength helped us to persevere.

So as my fourth child prepares to graduate from both Liberty University with an Associates degree and high school with her diploma, all I can do is praise our living God. He did it. We have hope as parents because when our instruction is done, our God keeps speaking to their hearts, too.

So many times over the years in all the moments of turmoil and joy, when I struggled to know how to parent (and still do!), God instructed me in His word and my children were instructed by God themselves.

God has our back when we feel like we have failed as parents. Dust off the condemnation and put on His promises. When we refuse to look at our circumstances and choose to look at the One in control over all our circumstances, we get to see miracles happen in our midst. He who called us is faithful. And He promises to give us wisdom when we ask.

James 1:5 (NIV) “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.”