Parenting with Faith
By Pastor Ryan | Posted December 9, 2008
Have you ever reacted out of emotion to something your child did and then later regretted your behavior? Or have you ever felt so tired that you ignored bad behavior from your child because you didn't want to deal with it? I know I have. These situations are examples of how easy it is to parent with only the moment in mind. In this blog my hope is to help all of us look at how we view our children and begin parenting by faith.
In City Kids we are studying the Great Faith Characters of the Bible based out of Hebrew 11. While reading about Moses I noticed something unusual: Hebrews references Moses' parents as people of great faith before it mentions Moses! What in the world did this Mom and Dad do to get them inducted in the Faith Hall of Fame? What did they do to earn a place amongst the greatest people in the Bible? They parented their child by faith.
Hebrew 11:23 (NLT) says, "It was by faith that Moses' parents hid him for three months when he was born. They saw that God had given them an unusual child, and they were not afraid to disobey the king's command." (Underline mine for emphasis.) Moses' parents saw something by faith, which determined the way they raised their child. Moses' Mom and Dad understood God gave them this baby, and this understanding prompted them to disobey Pharaoh's 's command. In this great chapter of faith we as parents can learn something that will change the way we respond to our children forever.
What pleases God? According to Hebrews 11, only faith pleases God, and faith according to Jesus, contains the power to move mountains. Faith must be what determines how we parent our children. I love what Hebrews 11:23 says, "...they saw that God had given them an unusual child." If you ask any good parent what they think about their kid they will tell you their child is "special". If we really believe God has a special plan for our son or daughter, then like Moses' parents, we must position faith at the forefront of our parenting philosophy. Remember, real faith always produces corresponding action. Parenting by faith acts as a filter sifting our words, thoughts, and attitudes towards our children leaving only what God would say, think and feel.
Moses' parents saw their son after the spirit with eyes of faith. As a result, they were willing to defy Pharaoh's wicked command to protect their son's future. The same evil behind Pharaoh's command thousands of years ago is still at work in our culture today. Its desire is to influence our children's lives in such a way as to destroy their influence for the Kingdom of God. So like Moses' parents, our job is to raise our kids by faith in order to position them to fulfill God's will for their lives. Faith believes for the best, and this belief produces action! So what does parenting by faith looks like?
Faith Action
If my child is choosing to have bad attitude or to disobey, instead of ignore it, I must respond appropriately because my actions today prepare the canvas on which their lives will be painted. In short, faith is willing to discipline and train up today because of the fruit it will produce in the child's life tomorrow. Faith says "I believe God has a plan for my son or daughter therefore according to God's word I must discipline them while they are young." (Proverbs 22:6) Faith never waits until tomorrow. Moses' parents responded immediately to the threat leveled against their son. If we continue to allow wrong behaviors, attitudes, and habits in our children, we allow the enemy to rob from their future. Culture says it's okay to let kids watch whatever television shows or movies are "cool". Culture says it is normal and acceptable for kids to talk back to their parents and authority figures. But as Christians, we understand that to protect their future we must guard what is allowed into their spirits and confront negative behavioral patterns that if left unchecked will be destructive years down the road.
If you and I believe our children are special and set apart by God, we must stand up and provide godly boundaries. Let's face it, as parents sometimes we get tired and the last thing we want to do deal with another bad attitude or respond to the flurry of "Why?" questions that come our way when we say "No". Giving in is easier, but it takes no faith to give in. Even when it is inconvenient, we take advantage of each parenting moment because we see God's destiny on our children's lives and that destiny is worth protecting. Growing up I remember my father would make me pay attention in church even though other kids around me were not. Why? Dad saw something in my life that I could not yet see. He saw me doing great things for God and therefore acted in faith. No longer can we parent haphazardly. We must see our role as a parent and see our children through the eyes of God. We must look into the future to see the purposes of God in their lives and begin to parent by faith!