‘Isaac…loved Esau, but Rebekah loved Jacob.’ Genesis 25:28 NIV
The prophet wrote, ‘Our fathers sinned and are no more, and we bear their punishment.’ (Lamentations 5:7 NIV) Parents, no responsibility is greater than yours! Imperfect and limited though you are, God has put awesome power into your hands—the power to shape the next generation. Succeeding or failing in business means nothing compared to succeeding or failing as a parent. When you fail, your children often pay for the wrongs you did. Many of us have looked adoringly into the face of our newborn child and prayed, ‘O God, wherever else I may fail, don’t let it be here!’ Answering that prayer is going to take three commitments from you. First, total investment in them. It will involve being at their sports, play or social event when you’re exhausted, and participating in their spiritual, emotional and educational challenges. Second, loving them unconditionally. That means even when they don’t want to become what you hoped for, you support them wholeheartedly for being what God designed them to be instead! Third, unfailing encouragement. Whether they win or lose, are right or wrong, make you look good or embarrass you, you understand, console and encourage them to believe in their God-given potential by letting them know, ‘I’ll never reject you, no matter what happens.’ What if your children have already grown up, they’ve gone off track and you know you’ve blown it? Admit it to God—and them. They know you failed and they’re generous forgivers! Ask (and believe) God to change you and them. God has promised to ‘…restore to you the years…’ (Joel 2:25 NKJV) that failure and neglect have stolen.
SoulFood: Rev 19–22, Mark 15:21–32, Ps 143, Pro 13:9–10
The Word for Today is authored by Bob and Debby Gass and published under licence from UCB International Copyright ©