As Christian parents, we would like to think that everything we do to and for our kids is for their own good. But sometimes we tend to do things that actually hurt them instead of build them up. We then realise just how much we need God's grace and the power of Jesus Christ to heal the wounds that we cause as imperfect parents.
Psalm 127:3 tells us, "Children are a heritage from the LORD, offspring a reward from him."
Children are valuable gifts that come as an expression of God's grace to us. Though sometimes we do not treat our child as a heritage or a reward that comes from God, He still gives us the privilege and blessing to be called parents.
As parents, we will fail at some point. Actually, we will fail at many points. I've only been a father for three years and I can no longer recall the many times I have failed my daughter. And any parent will know what I'm talking about whether you admit it or not. There are times when we get too harsh, too selfish, too ambitious, too controlling, too impatient and even too reckless for our children's own good.
That's why as a parent, I have learned and mastered one practice that has helped me in so many ways: the art of apologising to my daughter. We have all fallen short as parents, as human beings and as disciples of Jesus. As such, we need God's restorative forgiveness to flow through our relationship with our children.
Mark 9:14-29 tells the story of a man who understood repentance being once a terrible parent who walked in unbelief. He asked Jesus to heal his son although he had doubts in his heart that Jesus could do so. In verse 23, Jesus responded by saying, "If you can! All things are possible for one who believes."
With that, the man started crying and with a repentant heart asked God to take away his unbelief.
What are you crying out to God for to take out of you today? Is it your tendency to try to control your kids, to project your mistakes on them, to neglect their needs or to forget to pray for them? It's time that we learned that in our weakness as parents, Jesus makes us strong. We can cry out to Jesus to cleanse our hearts and give us a fresh start.
Unless we learn to be repentant and ask for forgiveness from God and from our children, our mistakes could take roots in our children's hearts. But as we surrender our mistakes to God and humbly admit to our children that we, too, have fallen short, we allow the forgiveness of Christ to flow through our children.
