Parenting Fail - No Sir

As my children age and approach their independence, I am becoming aware of my parenting failures and I’m trying to correct them before they head out into the world.  I laughed when they went to purchase Father’s Day cards and didn’t get envelopes.  I guess I never showed them that the envelopes are right behind the cards and that they’re free!  For the past couple of weeks, I have been thinking on another potential failure - not a complete disaster, but something that might benefit from a bit more urgency. 

Our Bible study group has been reading Matthew, and dissecting Jesus’ sermon on the mount, I’m not only seeing holes in my own Christian walk, but areas in which I haven’t been the best parent because my own level of understanding was incomplete.  I’ve read Matthew 5 before, but I read it with Kim’s definition of being “poor in spirit,” and Kim’s definition of “those who mourn,” and hunger and thirst I read as hunger and thirst, not “hunger and thirst for righteousness” - there’s a difference!  For a long time, I think I lived as if I had God in my pocket.  If I needed Him, I knew He was there.  I didn’t depend on Him, I didn’t pray without ceasing, I lived as if I was in control of my own life, and if there was something I couldn’t control, I would call on Him.  I’ve always been conscious of my behavior, as I wrote in last week’s message Conduct Matters, but my thoughts...unspeakable.   I wasn’t necessarily breaking the Law (Ten Commandments), but I certainly was not fulfilling the Beatitudes.  

Until the pandemic, we attended church regularly, and began Bible study in 2013.  It’s been regular for me, but my sons have missed portions due to sports practices and such.  They won’t miss any more of it!  I was in awe of Genesis last year as I had heard portions of many of the stories, but had never read them and reflected upon them for myself.   This study of Matthew has been different. Reading about the pure in heart and the peacemakers has been eye-opening. ”For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Mat 5:20)  

Studies show that within 3 weeks of being away from home, a typical college student raised in the Church will assimilate to the culture of the school, forgetting all about his Christian ideals.  My fear is that since my heart change came later in life, that it wasn’t early enough in my children’s lives to make a lasting impact.  My prayer is that God has predestined them to His kingdom.  I pray that they will continue to participate in Bible study and grow in sanctification.  While they will soon be on their own out in the world, I want them to be salt and light realizing that the Word of God is far greater than anything the world can possibly offer.  Amen. 

~2 Timothy 2: 15 
Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.

~Romans 8:29-30
For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

~1 John 4:4
​You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.




Thank you for reading,
Kim