Are the children you parent YOURS? Or do they belong to God?
In the past two Wednesday posts, my heart has been to encourage all of us parents to see the children that God has loaned to us, whether born naturally into our family, adopted and/or fostered, as belonging to God and not to us. What a special grace blessing from the hand of God to be a parent, to point precious lives to Christ, and to know that we have all we need by His grace to do so!! 2 Corinthians 9:8 reminds us, And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.
So far, my encouragement has been . . .
1. Parents, live and train with an eternal viewpoint.
2. Parents, prepare your children to leave home as God so planned.
Today, the third encouragement is parents, fulfill your privilege with the grace of God not the fleshly grit of man.
My definition of grit is you as a parent trying/striving to do all the work of “successful” parenting in your flesh. Most definitely, there are days you need a certain amount of grit (courage, John Wayne fortitude, backbone) to press on in parenting, but grit alone can lead to a fleshly end.
When you parent by grit, . . .
- You set your own goals.
• These are formulated by how you view society/the culture, other parents, your neighbors, your co-workers, your children, etc. - You are then responsible for the results.
• Results motivate you.
• Results make you successful or a failure - You get the credit for success or take the blame (or you blame someone else) for failure.
- You are constantly worn out (trying to keep all your “plates” spinning)!
We must be reminded that . . .
- The flesh is weak (Matt. 26:41)
Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. - Nothing good dwells in your flesh. (Romans 7:18)
For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. - The flesh is totally unable to produce spiritual life. (Romans 8:5-8)
For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. 6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. 8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. - Operating out of the flesh is sin. (Romans 14:23)
For whatsoever is not of faith is sin. - Fleshly works will go unrewarded at the Bema. (1 Cor. 3:11-15)
For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: - The flesh is contrary/in opposition to the Spirit. (Galatians 5:17)
For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
The flesh at its worst leads us away from God and the flesh at its best cannot please God.
Jeff Musgrave
The next post will cover the benefits and blessings of parenting by grace. In the meantime, will you consider the last seven days or the last month of your parenting.
- Have you been parenting by grit alone? Use the four characteristics listed above in your prayerful assessment.
- Will you meditate on the scripture passages given above concerning what God says about the works of the flesh?
- Then in preparation for the next post, read over-and-over again 2 Corinthians 9:8. Memorize it; meditate on it. Write down observations from the passage in reference to yourself and your parenting.
I’ll end with this: “We can easily drift into ceasing to place our whole confidence in God and instead placing that weight onto other things. Most of the time, that weight falls to ourselves. The failures of all these other things should lead us to the unfailing Lord, but many times this vanity leads us to put our stock in ourselves instead. We place our confidence in the flesh instead of the Almighty.” (Michael Kelly)
(Photo from westernhorseman.com)
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