Just Give Up - The Gift of Sacrifice
Photo image courtesy Pixabay
Therefore, be imitators, as beloved children, and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, as an offering and sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma. – Ephesians 5:1-2
“I give up!”
If you have ever heard these words come out of your mouth in the middle of a challenging parenting moment, whether you realize it or not, you have hit upon a key requisite of devoted and effective parenting. Not in regard to insisting your children brush their teeth or eat their veggies, and certainly not when teaching kindness and respect, but a huge part of being a parent is giving up a part of yourself for the greater good of the one whom God has placed in your care.
In short, parenting is about sacrifice—a sacrifice born of a love that mimics the heart of God.
In the early days, a mother surrenders her body to grow another human inside her. If their child comes to them in a different way, it is the same. Mom and Dad must make room for that child to grow in their hearts.
But that is just the beginning. As parents there will be long seasons of what feels like losing yourselves for reasons that, at the time, are only vaguely perceptible. Time, sleep, finances, convenience, your choice of entertainment, what you wear, what you eat, where you live, your choice of friends, even career decisions are often dictated by the need to provide for and protect your children as you navigate those early, and even later years.
We have heard the old adage “Children fit into your world; you do not fit into theirs.” That sounds good on paper, but there is a great caveat to this. The world we ask our children to fit into must be conducive to the gentle nurturing of a child’s soul.
As parents, when we imitate our Heavenly Father, as Ephesians 5 instructs, His attributes will guide us in creating a world of order.
* a world motivated by deep and unconditional love, governed by patience, and heaped in encouragement.
* a safe space, hemmed in grace and mercy, to experience life and allow for imperfections.
* a place of acceptance and belonging.
We will follow Jesus’s example and look for meaningful opportunities to teach His truths in ways our children can understand.
We will create a world where we, as parents, offer examples of what it means to be a child of God, so that our children will want to be part of that family as well.
And we will do all of this on our knees, with four hours of sleep, and the thousandth tray of chicken nuggets in the oven.
It’s a selfless endeavor. But God, who literally wrote The Book on sacrifice—the One who gave His life for yours—is the same God who stands ready each day to offer His wisdom as you parent the child He has given you. When you see your role as a parent for the divine calling it is, your sacrifices become an eternal gift to your children and a fragrant aroma to your Savior.
Questions for Reflection:
1. What additional character traits and attributes of our Heavenly Father could you strive to imitate as you raise your children in your own world? Add these to the list!
2. As grandparents, ask God to give you meaningful opportunities to minister to your grandchildren and their parents.
3. Meditate on your Heavenly Father’s ultimate sacrifice in offering His Son to pay the penalty for your sins. What a humbling comparison to our own sacrifices. Let this motivate you to offer your best to God each day.
