In the garden of Eden God gave Adam and Eve free will. He advised them of the opportunity that laid before them, but he didn’t make them robots and control their every move. Have you ever thought about how heartbreaking that was for God to watch sin enter the world? Yes he knew it was going to happen when he created them, but do you think that made it any easier to watch?
God gave us all free will and we exercise that freedom every time we come to a fork in the road. We have the choice to take the narrow road that is less traveled or the wide road that is usually the more popular choice by the world’s standards. I’ve been thinking a lot about free will and parenting lately. We all want to shield of children from hurt, disappointment, bad choices, sin, and consequences. We want our children to always understand our unconditional love we have for them. We want our children to learn from our stories and mistakes so they won’t suffer the way we once did. The truth is God gives us all free will. God gives us the choice to do right or wrong. As hard as it is to watch our children do otherwise, they will to make their own decisions and mistakes.
God spoke to me directly through his word regarding this issue. At some point we have to let our children go. They aren’t ours forever. They never were only ours to begin with. They were gifts from God and we have to give them back to God. One scripture that God used to speak to me was the story of the prodigal son (Luke 15). Have you ever thought about how hard that must have been for that father to let his son go? The father let his son exercise his free will. He didn’t chase after him and tell him what a mistake he was making. He didn’t stop him from going or guilt trip him before he left. He let him go not because he didn’t love him, but because he loved him so much he gave him back to God. In the end, God let the son suffer the consequences. God let him hit rock bottom and let learn from his mistakes. The son then learned take responsibility for his actions, turn from them, and return humbly home. The father rejoiced and celebrated that his son was once lost, but now he was found.
God does the same thing with us. He doesn’t force us to choose him and make the right decisions. He gives us free will. When we make good choices we are blessed, not always immediately or materialistically, but in our walk with God. When we make bad choices God withholds his blessing from us and we suffer consequences of our actions. I love this John Piper quote that goes right along with parenting. “True love pursues a person’s lasting good. But the one loved may not care about this good. Thus love may feel unloving.” God hasn’t stopped loving us or stopped caring about us. He’s right there the whole time just watching, waiting, and anticipating our return to him.
As heartbreaking as it is for parents to let their children suffer from consequences, how much harder do you think it is for God to watch ALL of his children make bad choices? I’ve hurt my parents hearts and hurt Jesus’ heart more times than I can count. At the time I wasn’t thinking about what I was doing to them. I was only thinking about myself and what I wanted or thought I wanted. I’ve been lost many times, but thanks to my Savior I was also found.
No one said parenting was easy. No one said it wouldn't be heartbreaking. We have a great responsibility while our children are young to hide God’s word in their heart so that we they grow old they will not depart from it (Proverbs 22:6). We have a great responsibility to bring them up knowing Christ and what it means to be a follower of Jesus. The devil is also a very real presence in the world. He seeks to steal, kill, and destroy the lives of our children (John 10:10). We have a great responsibility to pray for our children day in and day out, in sickness and in health, in good times and in bad. (1 Thes. 5:17 and Phil. 4:6). BUT weehave the King of Kings on our side. We have the Lord of Lords who we can fully trust with our children’s lives. We have a Father ourselves that will guide us and teach us everyday of our parenting lives if we will just seek His wisdom.
Here is another article that deals with parenting and our children that God revealed to me recently on the Girlfriends of God website. Isn’t God just awesome like that? I especially love the prayer for parents of all ages of children at the end of the devotion. God is good all the time!
Katie
“Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that which Christ Jesus took hold of me...I press on towards the goad to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Phil: 3:12&14
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