Parenting is a tough job. It's a rewarding privilege no doubt, but it's no walk in the park. I don't think I have ever known a job as tough as being given the opportunity and task of raising a human being in the safety of my own home.
One thing that stood out to me early on as a dad to my daughter Alexa was that I was not going to be able to successfully raise a child on my own. I needed to rely on something or someone to back me up. And many times I relied on the wrong things, ending up frustrated and almost even hopeless many times.
Maybe you feel the same way as parents. Who can we rely on to be our strength and grace as we raise kids? I don't think this is anything new, but the bottom line is still to trust and rely on the grace of God.
Talking about Christ, Paul says in Ephesians 1:23, "which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way."
Christ is the fullness who fulfils all things in every way. Every single way. Yes, including parenting.
It's only when we rely on Christ, His love, mercy and grace do we become the parents we ought to be to our kids.
Sometimes, however, some functional saviours become a hindrance to our reliance on God as they present themselves as better options.
Here are four things we often rely on too much when we should be relying on God to raise our children.
1. Our Spouse
While parenting is best done by a mother and father and while it can help to share the load with a spouse, our most present help is not our spouse. When we focus too heavily on the presence (or even the absence) of a partner to help us raise children, we're seeking help from the wrong person. That's not to say that we should not seek help from our spouse in raising kids, but let's not make our spouse our ultimate source of strength and wisdom.
2. The Church
I used to work in youth ministry, and too often I'd see how some parents could sometimes feel like the meeting of the spiritual needs of their children could be outsourced to the church. When we rely too heavily on the church to help us raise our kids, we set ourselves for failure. Church is great, but we cannot rely on it too much.
3. Money
Have you ever thought, "If only I had all the money in the world, I'd be able to raise my child better"? Well, I've seen rich people who are bad parents and not so financially well-off people who make wonderful parents. Money has very little to do with raising children up in the way of the Lord.
4. Parenting Strategies
There are so many parenting strategies out there, but the fact remains: No two children are alike. What will work for one child might not work for the other. When we rely too much on strategies and best practices, we'll end up facing tough scenarios where we'll end up to be clueless parents.
God's wisdom and strategy are always best, and He's more than willing to guide us through the Holy Spirit in raising our kids.
