One Thing You Lack?

As Jared just taught us on Sunday, the church at Ephesus had so many things going for it…so many wonderful and desirable characteristics. Yet, because of His faithfulness to His people, Christ had to bring rebuke. They had remembered so much, but had forgotten their first love.

Short in my tenure here at Covenant Fellowship Church, I see so many things going for the families in our church…so many wonderful and desirable characteristics. And we are thankful to be a part of it. I wonder, though, if you are at all like me. At times, the calling and duties of parenting can rob me of a great truth of parenting…joy in the gift of my children.

What a glorious reminder we’re given in Psalm 127:3:

Behold, children are a gift from the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward.

At times, I can fall victim to the misconception that children are projects. There always seems to be sin present in some form and it seems it’s my job to rid them of it…all the while failing to actually enjoy them. I can find myself not enjoying their childishness… their silliness…their harmless fun.

At times like this, people like me need to be reminded that the Psalm does NOT read, “Children are a project from the Lord.” Nor does it read: “Children are an assignment from the Lord.” No, when the Psalmist had a chance to characterize the place of children in the life of a parent, he chose the words “gift” and “reward.”

Of special temptation in my life is the last hour or so of the day. With the bedtime business that must occur, and the adult duties that await once the children are in bed, I slip so easily into the “get ‘er done” mentality. Yet, this is a time that God has designed for the childishness of my children to abound. In those moments, I can go beyond seeing my children as projects or assignments and view them as outright obstacles. (Boy, that stings!)

Our children are gifts, wonderful expressions of a loving God who has characterized His kingdom as being filled with people such as these. He Himself bids them to come to Him. When we are seeing with spiritual eyes, we will do the same.

Here are a few helpful questions we could ask ourselves:

- Do they hear us laugh with them?
- Do we stop what we’re doing to take interest in what interests them?
- Do we stop to listen when they want to talk?
- Are there sins that we see in them that we’re willing to overlook and deal with later?

These questions are not a list of do’s and don’ts. They simply provide a healthy glimpse into the day to day with our children.

I encourage you to take these questions and let your spouse answer them. Hand them to your older children and ask them. Pray that God would give you eyes to see with keen accuracy how you’re doing. Then pray…not primarily that your activity would change, but that your perspective would change. That you would see your children as gifts…as rewards…and thoroughly enjoy them.

The duties and responsibilities of parenting are many. But without the God-ordained perspective captured in Psalm 127, those duties quickly morph into burdens. And there is no joy in burden. We have much going for us in our families at Covenant Fellowship Church. Yet, I wonder…is there one thing you lack?