Five Foundations for Parenting – Part One

Let’s face it, parenting is tough.  Psalm 127:3 tells us that “Sons are a heritage from the LORD, children a reward from him.”  It can be easy to forget that while we are in the midst of parenting.  As I like to say “sometimes my kids are works of God, other times they are pieces of work”!  Over the next couple of weeks I plan to share some general thoughts on parenting that I hope will be an encouragement to you.

Foundational Truth #1

Good Parenting Does Not Require Perfection 

Can I get an Amen!?!  To be honest, I fail as a parent every day…several times a day…usually before breakfast! 

Sometimes we can fall into the trap of thinking that because we are Christians our homes should be this peaceful sanctuary where everyone gets along and any issues are resolved quickly with some sage advice and funny hijinks from dad (who never gets upset) and a snack of milk and cookies from mom (who is never tired and lives to serve her kids).  That’s a picture of an old family sitcom (think of Leave It To Beaver, The Brady Bunch, or The Cosby Show), not of reality.

The fact is that Christian homes will have conflict, sadness, tension, hurt and sinfulness.  Being Christian parents doesn’t mean that our home avoids those things.  Being Christian parents means that our homes should also be filled with forgiveness, grace, understanding, patience, and love.  If we focus on building these positive characteristics and ask Him for help with the negative ones, we’ll be doing just fine.

-Scott