Cultivating Your Child’s Heart for Kingdom Living
Praying for wisdom and discernment is something I often ask for in my talks with God. I don’t believe we can have too much. There are times in my life that I have clearly heard from the Holy Spirit. However, there are more times than I would like to admit that I have foolishly made my own way. The reality is we could all use more wisdom in our lives, especially when it comes to parenting.
Hardest, Most Important Job
Parenting is one of the hardest things I have ever done. My children get the best and the worst of me. The moments of encouragement and yes, the moments when I lose my cool and act ugly. After having my first baby, I was completely overwhelmed with the responsibility of raising him. I was afraid to make mistakes, scared he would get hurt, and acutely aware of my own inadequacies. I knew I couldn’t possibly be successful on my own and entrusted my son to God’s care as I held him in my arms. This was the first step in trusting the Lord. I trusted God to fill in the gaps and protect him when I couldn’t be around to keep him from danger, temptations, or mistakes. Releasing my fears to my heavenly Father that afternoon, I rocked my sweet baby relieved of that burden.
Free to Parent in Humility and Grace
I have not burdened myself with those thoughts since that day, but my job is to teach my children to one day grow into healthy adults. At the beginning of the year, I started a study on wisdom. The first couple of days began at the beginning of King Solomon’s reign. According to 1 Kings 3:3, “Solomon showed his love for the LORD by walking according to the instructions given him by his father David, except that he offered sacrifices and burned incense on the high places.” The beginning of the verse jumped out at me as I read it. Solomon loved the LORD just as his daddy had taught him. Wow, this spoke to my heart. God was magnifying the importance of my role as a parent.
Listen, I’m not going to claim that I am a great parent or my kids are angels. All three of my boys are strong-willed, energetic, and stubborn. They are taught manners and how to behave. However, they may or may not use them at any given moment. I have read numerous books on parenting to glean tactics and inspiration. People have kindly made suggestions to which I smile as if I have never tried it before while graciously accepting their advice. My boys are a handful and yes, I try to be consistent. PARENTING IS EXHAUSTING, but I know that God sees me and hears my prayers.
What Makes David Wise?
So, what is wisdom? Proverbs 1:7 tells us, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.” Following the LORD is the first step in true wisdom. David, a man after God’s own heart, provides a wealth of material for study, but for our purposes we are going to examine him as a father, how he prepares Solomon to fulfill his calling and how he reveals the goodness of God the Father.
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