Parenting Is Worth It
As parents, we are to use prophetic revelation (most particularly the Bible) to discipline our children (Prov 31:1, GW). This is how we are to train our children (Prov 22:6, CW). In addition, we should give our children access to us. After all, their angels have ready access to God (Mt 18:10, LAB note). Our children are important to the Lord and should be important to us (Lk 18:15, Weymouth). We need to give our children not just physical access to be with us and talk to us, but access to us – to who we really are and what we have gone through. Of course, we must share what is suitable for their age and ability to understand. Yet, we must share. My parents were particularly good at this. My dad, especially, encouraged a family atmosphere of openness and honesty by sharing frankly about himself. He wanted us to genuinely connect with him. His modeling of transparency facilitated my own desire to be appropriately intimate with others through mutual self-disclosure at the level of closeness the Lord had appointed. We touched each other’s souls, rather than some mask of secrecy. I am forever grateful.
Ephesians 6:4 illustrates some of the parenting mistakes we are to avoid: overcorrecting (Phillips), exasperating (Williams), and goading our children to resentment (NEB). In addition, we must try to avoid making them bitter (GW), not being tender (Weymouth), not giving them God-inspired discipline (NJB), and giving excessive discipline (IVPBBC). Furthermore, Col 3:21 tells us to not break their spirit or be too hard on them (AB).
Parenting is difficult. We must monitor our children carefully but appropriately let go of them lest they feel so harassed and scrutinized they give up and become spiritless and overly compliant. Further, no matter what we do, there will be those who will criticize us for how we raise our children – much as the apostles found fault with parents who wanted Jesus to touch their infants. We can only do our best and then trust the Lord to forgive us and bring good out of our honest mistakes. He has compassion for parents because even many of His own children acted badly and turned their back on Him (Isa 1:2).
Comforting others is costly but worth it.