Christian Parenting 101

Lesson 8: When you fear it is too late...

In Summary...

At this point you have a good grasp on a variety of aspects of Christian parenting. You know how important your own personal conduct is (1), you understand that training a child is a constant process (2), and you are fully aware of the necessity to keep avenues of communication open and bridges intact (3). Yet, you may still wonder: am I too late?

The answer to this question is a resounding “no”! No matter how old your children are, you are not too late. The God of the Bible is a God of healing and forgiveness. While it is true that there are consequences for sins, He never holds them over our heads, and He rejoices in sinners who repent. How much more will He rejoice when you make the wholehearted commitment to follow Him with all your might and seek to take your family to heaven with you.

Get help from other Christians who are further along in their spirituality than you are. Get advice; use them as a sounding board. Bounce off ideas and practice approaches to take with your children. Learn from the way they parent, and imitate their lives. Allow them to see how you parent and be open to input. Do not give in to the fallacy that you are above reproach. Instead, understand that God still speaks to us, it may just be in the form of your fellow-churchgoer.

Never give up. Parenting is tiring and time consuming at its best, and draining and frustrating at its worst. Never give up on your child or your role as a parent. The task with which God has entrusted you is too important to let slide. There is nobody else who can fulfill the role in which God placed you. Very literally, the buck stops with you. Remember that attitudes and problems took years to build up. They will not be shattered and reversed within a week. It will take time, and God will give you the strength you need to see it through.

In closing, fight the good fight. No matter what. (4)

(1) 1 Timothy 4:16
(2) Deuteronomy 6:6-7
(3) Luke 15:11-32
(4) Nehemiah 4:14

  1  2  3  4  5