Its important to realize that as inconvenient as it is to be a parent, you are their world and how they perceive reality. If you are prone to anger, impatience, pragmatism, and selfishness then it will surface in your children. Pardon me for not taking a moment to warm up the crowd before plunging into this topic, but I have a low tolerance for the self-centered parent who lives daily questioning why they have to be so self-sacrificing to their children! For the parent who keeps this selfish mindset there is no hope of feeling any sense of accomplishment, only a churning sense of regret for the time they think they are losing.
Some may chastize such a parent for not thinking it through before having children, but I believe we need to consider how much we realized the sacrifice it would take to become a believer and follower of Jesus Christ. Most of us in the USA never once had to consider the job description to become a Christian, and didn't realize the sacrifice involved to have a deep and close personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Did you really sit down and make a list of things you would have to give up to follow Christ? I don't need a Barna survey to say that most did not weigh every possibility of sacrifice, but it does not give you a pass on striving to be all that Christ requires you to be, and nurturing the relationship. The same holds true of selfish parents who keep wondering when "their blessings" will come. Parenting is hard and many times thankless, but if that is your only motivation you will stay in a malaise of resentment and discontentment. Furthermore there is a deeper issue in a persons relationship to Christ if they have stepped off the path and gotten lost in the weeds of this mindset. Although a psychologist would give a person a pass for such a mindset and call it an anxiety, coping, or even an adjustment disorder, the truth is there is something much deeper happening in the life of a believer in Jesus Christ.If you are looking for where to start learning how to parent, read out of the book of Joshua 24:15.
"If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD."
GOD'S WORD® Translation (©1995)
In this passage Joshua is making an unapologetic challenge to the Israelites to make up their mind about who they wish to serve. Being a parent doesn't leave room for you to be immersed in your selfish wants and desires while still serving the Lord. In fact we are told that if we
abide in Christ we will develop new desires as both a believer in Christ, and a parent. Where do you fit in today? Are you battling with feelings of resentment because you think the world is passing you by as you teach and raise your children? It's time to choose today what you will do. I pray it will be to lay aside your selfishness, and spritually guide the young and impressionable children you have been entrusted with. Make
convenience a seldom used word when it comes to raising your children!
