The Joys and Challenges of Parenting, Pt. 1

The greatest job in the world is to be a mom or dad. And yes, it is a job! It takes prayer, patience, and much work to raise kids.

The Joys and Challenges of Parenting, Pt. 1

"And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord."

(Ephesians 6:4)

The greatest job in the world is not being a president, pastor, surgeon, business owner, attorney, or any other profession; the greatest job in the world is to be a mom or dad. And yes, it is a job! It takes prayer, patience, and much work to raise kids. It has always been challenging to raise children, but has there ever been a more challenging time for parents than our current era? I think not. Our kids are bombarded with unhealthy and immoral messages in a way that preceding generations never experienced. There is enormous pressure placed on kids today to do the very things that are harmful and disruptive to healthy families.

In our church, we are making a concerted effort to equip parents to succeed in raising their children, to assist the parents to be the primary disciple-makers in their kids' lives. We have introduced a ministry that has caused much excitement among parents in our church. We are calling it Milestones, and our family ministry is helping parents succeed in raising their children in five specific milestones they will encounter. Parents, you are mistaken if you think that schools (whether public, private, or Christian), homeschooling, or even the local church is the primary factor in the shaping of the minds and hearts of your children. It is you! You are the ones who have the greatest influence in your kids' lives! (If you would like more information on Milestones, please go to ghbc.org/family.)

We invited Dr. Richard Ross to come and speak to our church and help us kick off what we called the Milestones Summit. Dr. Ross is 74 years old, a professor at Southwestern Seminary in Fort Worth, TX, and an excellent communicator. After the morning worship service, Dr. Ross challenged the parents to lead their families well. He asked the fathers to participate in a role-playing exercise. He gave them this scenario and asked them to share what they would say: your son or daughter is in the car, they are about to drive away to college, what are you going to tell them? Dr. Ross also had the children stand beside and pray over their parents and also had the parents pray over their children. It was a beautiful time, and a few tears might have been shed!

When you seek to guide your children in the paths of morality, purity, and godliness, you are not alone. God comes alongside you and empowers you to do what He commands you to do. Your local church also helps. Will it be hard? Absolutely! At times, you will feel like you are the only one trying to point your children to Christ and the things of God. But don't lose heart or be overwhelmed. Learn from God's Word and from other families who are in the battle with you.