Parental Pain

Raising children can be tough.

It no secret that the people we love the most are the people that have the most potential for causing us hurt and pain.  This is especially true when we see our children choose to live their lives outside of God's perfect plan for their lives.  It should be some comfort to us that God understands Parental Pain.

When Adam and Eve chose to walk away from God - that brought God pain.

God, speaking of His beloved, chosen people in Isaiah 1:2-3 says:

“The children I raised and cared for

have rebelled against me.

        Even an ox knows its owner,…

            but Israel doesn’t know its master.

My people don’t recognize my care for them.”

Obviously this was a source of pain for God.  Just as it is when our own children go astray.  So how do we handle that?  The only answer is to turn to the giver of comfort and peace.  We need UNWAVERING PRAYER, UNENDING PATIENCE, and UNCONDITIONAL LOVE for our children.  Never give up. It is never too late.

No matter how far they may run or drift - nobody is beyond the reach of God's love.

Parenting Prodigals - Part 2

I have been fascinated by the concept that no parent is perfect, neither is any child perfect.  If we break this down to it's most basic level, I wonder if it would be safe to say that the first Parent/Child relationship would be that of God and Adam in the Garden of Eden.

Here was the Perfect Parent in a Perfect Environment - God says' "You are naked, go have lots of babies" and yet Adam - who was as close to the Perfect Son as was ever possible - still found a way to mess it up.

Why then do we as parents, who are far from perfect ourselves, beat ourselves up when our children fail or fall short of our expectations?  Our environment is just as far from perfect as we are.

Nobody ever dreams of having messed up kids, and yet messed up kids are a reality of life.  When we experience messed up kids - we need to love them, be patient with them, and pray for them.  All the while trusting our Perfect Father and His perfect wisdom and love.

Parenting Prodigals

As Parents, God has given us tremendous responsibility and privilege in raising our sons and daughters.  Sometimes, no matter how hard we try, our children go astray.  


When that happens, what do we do?  Find out this Sunday at Yellowstone Church.

In Order that We Might Bear Fruit to God

So, my brothers, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit to God.  Rom. 7:4 (NIV)

We must die to our selves and to the law so that we can give ourselves totally to Christ.  For the sole purpose of bringing glory to God and bearing fruit for Him.

Are you dead to yourself, your selfish desires, and the law?  Living wholly committed to Him.