‘As the Scriptures say, “A man leaves his father and mother.”’ Ephesians 5:31 NLT
When our children are young, we’re so busy providing them with things like love, protection, discipline, training, and authority that it feels like these responsibilities will go on forever. But they don’t. When our children reach their late teens and early twenties, we must open the door for them to the world outside.
If you’re going through this right now and feeling anxious, try to realise that you’re in one of the most challenging and difficult parts of parenting. Your tendency to hold tightly to the reins of control in order to keep your children from making mistakes is natural. But your children are more likely to make good choices if they aren’t compelled to rebel in order to achieve their freedom. The simple truth is that responsibility and maturity flourish best in an atmosphere of freedom. ‘As the Scriptures say, “A man leaves his father and mother.”’ The secret of success is in granting your child autonomy at the right time, in the right amount, and with the right attitude. Your goal should be to allow independence little by little through the years, as your children are able to manage new responsibility. The final release, then, should represent a small step in the direction of freedom instead of a headlong fall into anarchy and rebellion.
In the final analysis, we all learn by trial and error. You did, and try as you may to avoid it, your children will, too. ‘So what should I do?’ you ask. Pray for them daily, release them into God’s care, and let them know that you will always love them and be there for them.
SoulFood:
Exodus 17:8–16 ()
()
8 Then Amalek came and fought with Israel at Rephidim. 9 So Moses said to Joshua, “Choose for us men, and go out and fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand.” 10 So Joshua did as Moses told him, and fought with Amalek, while Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. 11 Whenever Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed, and whenever he lowered his hand, Amalek prevailed. 12 But Moses’ hands grew weary, so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it, while Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side. So his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. 13 And Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his people with the sword.
14 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Write this as a memorial in a book and recite it in the ears of Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven.” 15 And Moses built an altar and called the name of it, The LORD Is My Banner, 16 saying, “A hand upon the throne of the LORD! The LORD will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.”
Ephesians 3:14–21 ()
()
14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, 16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
The Word for Today is authored by Bob and Debby Gass and published under licence from UCB International Copyright ©