Parenting often has a low value in our world today. So many
things are thought to be far more important and of higher value than to be a mother or a
father. A career, earning enough to maintain a high standard of living,
personal achieving and goal structured thinking – all these can make family
life look awfully humdrum and the result – family takes second or third or an even lower place. Parenting becomes debased and made of little worth. A
mother can feel insignificant and of little
value when she is at home and taking care of her children. And this transfers
easily to church and ministry for those of us who are committed Christians. Having a
"ministry" or needing to go to all the meetings can pressure a
Christian parent to have to do all the 'right' Christian things, and
their family has to take second place.
On the other hand, there are many parenting
books which make many of us feel we could never reach the ideals preached, and
so we give up before we start! I can
remember reading an article in a magazine when I had 2 little ones, telling me
I should smack my toddler if she demanded attention or was naughty when I was
feeding the baby. Well, of course, that has swung round, - no one would ever recommend
that now. It worried me, as I was a young mum and felt others knew more than I
did, but there was no way I was going to follow that advice. BUT a mum down the road from me felt
she had to. Result – her little boy was naughtier than ever, as he did want some
attention and he got it, even if it was punishment!
ALL families are different.
In fact, every child within a family is an individual. There just cannot be set rules by which all families live and bring up children successfully. BUT we do have
principles clearly given to us in the Bible. I find these so helpful and releasing. And in these studies,
I want to share some of them with you and get you seeking for yourself the
wonderful way God has designed family – for love, for support, for value and
worth as we grow up. None of us will ever get it perfectly right either – but
that is where the grace of God and the Holy Spirit are there to help us.
In Matt 25:34-36 Jesus says:
"Then the King will say to those on His right hand,
'Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the
foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and
you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited
Me; …"
In this parable "the righteous" will ask the King
when did we see you thus and thus and the King, in fact, Jesus Himself,
answers:
'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of
the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.'
"one of the least …" ...... Could that just be your tiny
baby waking in the night, could it be a teenager coming in famished after a
game of football? YES, yes! I believe Jesus puts the hugest most ginormous
value on us loving and parenting our children. He says, when you do it for them
– you are doing it for ME!
Think about that!
My fourth child was born at home, which was
wonderful, but of course there are no nurses to tend to a crying newborn and he
was hungry from the outset. I became more than tired – I was exhausted! – very
little sleep those first few days and nights. My lovely mother-in-law was there
to look after the other children, but soon I would have to be fending for
myself again, so I was getting desperate. I asked the Lord for strength, but
just felt weaker! David was born on June 15th, and on June 20th,
I opened my Daily Light (all I was managing to read at the time), and read
this, " Take this child away and nurse it for me, and I will give thee thy
wages". This passage is actually referring to Moses, but God was speaking precious words straight to my heart. I
was nursing this baby for HIM! I tell you it transforms everything when we
realise we are doing it for our Master, Jesus Himself; for the One Who loves us and comes alongside to help and strengthen. As I relaxed into the truth of this and just loved feeding this
precious baby, I also began to understand that even in my weakness, God would
give me strength. And I didn't have to FEEL strong! I still FELT weak – but I
could trust Him for strength for each day.
Have a look at Matthew 24:45-47:
"Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season? Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing. Assuredly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all his goods."
Is the servant preaching to a crowd of
thousands? Is he counselling the anxious or healing the sick? Of course, we are
called to do these things, but FIRST priority with God is
our home life - God's household! Shopping, cooking, never-ending hungry stomachs to fill! Putting a picnic together for a family outing or getting the barbecue out on a sunny day - all these can be part of your loving and serving Jesus - with joy and fulfilment!
Let's start looking at things from God's perspective
as we begin this study on the glorious wonderful call on our lives to be a
mother or a father!
First shared in church Sept 30th 2001
