Parenting

This Mother’s Day, rather than trying to number your successes or feeling shame over your failures as a mom, may you cling to this hope for you and for your children: “But he gives more grace.”

This question is a struggle for so many. It’s important to keep in mind that there is a distinction—a very important distinction—between God's active decree and his permissive decree.

As parents, we are all on a mission from the Lord to announce the love of the Father to our children and to encourage them, as much as we can, to believe it. We’re to tell them of the law so that they know that they need rescue, and then we’re to tell them of the Rescuer who has freed them from the law’s curse. But this monumental task is utterly impossible for us to accomplish on our own.

About six months ago, my publisher sent me an orchid. I opened the front door to find a tall box standing on the welcome mat. When I opened it, I was blown away by its beauty, with its raspberry-colored blooms and bright green leaves. I immediately thought, “Oh, no! There’s no way this will last under my care.” After all, I’ve killed every plant I’ve owned, even succulents—now that takes talent!

Christian, everything God has for you is grace upon grace because of what Jesus has done for you.

Our children don’t have to fear their peers, because the Lord has already declared that there’s no condemnation for those who are in Christ.

There’s perhaps no greater source of anxiety for Christian parents than how their children will fare in the faith. Parenting isn’t like most projects, which require us to engage in a certain type of work for a certain amount of time to achieve the desired results.

Without intending to, we often water down important doctrines because we want people to be able to grasp hold of these great mysteries without becoming discouraged by their perplexity.