Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today- June 16, 2011
“To have a fool for a son brings grief; there is no joy for the father of a fool.” Proverbs 17:21
This grieves the heart of their parents. Their father and mother want to do the right thing, but become conflicted on defining what’s “right.” The dad may be firm and the mom more merciful, so it’s imperative they are unified in their approach in how they love their rebellious child. They cannot allow Satan to drive a wedge of doubt between them. Jesus said, “… a household divided against itself will not stand” (Matthew 12:25).
Start with sincere and aggressive prayer for a loved one bound up in foolish behavior. Pray that the Lord changes you and gives you the grace and courage to offer an aggressive love based on the love of your heavenly Father. You can love the unlovely as you ought, only after receiving His unconditional love. Remember the joy you had when they came into this world as God’s gift, so trust their Creator to bring them back to Christ. He can.
Lastly, confide in the Christian community about your sorrow and hurt. You may be surprised at how many have suffered a similar fate. Move beyond the mistakes of the past, and focus on faith in the present. Turn your child over to the Lord’s love and discipline. Pray that your foolish child will grow fatigued from folly, and return to faith in God. Thus you pray, “Christ, give me confidence to let them go and give them to you. And I hope one day for a celebration.”
“‘For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate” (Luke 15:24).
How can I best pray for and reach out to my child who is away from the Lord?
Related Readings: 2 Samuel 18:33; Proverbs 19:13-26; 2 Corinthians 2:3; 3 John 1:4
Taken from Reading #5 in the new eBook Wisdom for Fathers (free for June), click here: http://bit.ly/j650BI
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Let us not forget that some parents never become adults themselves and expect their children to parent them using the same words of ‘if you loved me’. It is just as easy to turn this around from one view point to another. To often, parents who didn’t do a good job like to blame it all on their children, but children LEARN from their parents. Don’t fool yourself if you end up with an unruly child and then throw up your hands in confusion. Take responsibility for however you raised them to be this way in the first place and admit to your failing. Too often have I seen parents like to play the poor martyr and get sympathy and attention when they never did their job in the first place.