“O our God ... we have no might ... neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon Thee.”
2 Chronicles 20:12
In those first hours after your baby is born, the positive joy you experience may alternate with fear of the responsibility that you have taken on as parents of this helpless babe. What have we done, bringing another little one into this world? We are not up to this task, you may be thinking. I know my husband and I had thoughts much like this. I once read the following in a book for new parents:
“You need to realize that you cannot protect your baby from everything. You are entrusted with your child for a short period and need to help him build skills he needs so he can go out on his own and survive the best he can. A good parent is not one who has all the rules and solutions; it is one who says I have to get my child ready for the world. Because whatever you don’t teach your child, life will, and life is not as kind.”
I would restate this excerpt with a Christian perspective as follows:
God knows that you are not perfect. Don’t forget that. There is no such thing as a perfect parent. “He knoweth our frame; He remembereth that we are dust” (Psa. 103:1414For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust. (Psalm 103:14)). We can count on Him!
Your time with your children is short. “Redeeming the time, because the days are evil” (Eph. 5:1616Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. (Ephesians 5:16)). Use the short time you have wisely.
Presenting Christ to your children, in word and pattern, is your primary task. You need to get them ready for the next world! “And they brought unto Him also infants, that He would touch them” (Luke 18:1515And they brought unto him also infants, that he would touch them: but when his disciples saw it, they rebuked them. (Luke 18:15)). When they take that step of faith and believe on the Lord Jesus as their Saviour, then the indwelling Spirit will be able to guide and correct them. “Who teacheth like Him?” (Job 36:2222Behold, God exalteth by his power: who teacheth like him? (Job 36:22)).
By adulthood, your sons and daughters should be ready to say goodbye to you, and to handle life on their own. They will make mistakes; didn’t you? It is time for you to hand over the full responsibility for their lives to them. “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth” (3 John 4).
Life may not be kind, but let us take comfort that we have a God “of great kindness” (Jonah 4:22And he prayed unto the Lord, and said, I pray thee, O Lord, was not this my saying, when I was yet in my country? Therefore I fled before unto Tarshish: for I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest thee of the evil. (Jonah 4:2)). We can trust our children to this One. God is so good!