THE GREATEST CHALLENGE OF ALL

THE GREATEST CHALLENGE OF ALL

Raising children is no easy task.  At various and sundry times, parenting has resulted in sheer frustration, frayed dispositions, utter exhaustion, and graying hair.  Nevertheless, it is the ultimate act of sacrificial love which, since time immemorial, has breathed unlimited joy and fulfillment into the lives of parental participants.  Unfortunately, there is no how-to-do-it book that accurately covers every practical aspect of parenting.  Child rearing is definitely an on-the-job training situation, definitely a learn-as-you-go-and-grow type of enterprise!  However, wise persons seek counsel from their predecessors.

Of course, there are those who look at it from the ‘outside’ and feel they have somehow mastered all the necessities and nuances of parenting.  But every experienced parent can croon in chorus to them: “Are you kidding me?”  Parenting takes continuous work and serious (lifetime) commitment.  The following tale of a young minister who thought he had it all figured out never fails to amuse me:

When this young minister was still single, he preached a sermon entitled, “Rules for Raising Children.” After he got married and had children of his own, he changed the title of the sermon to “Suggestions for Raising Children.” When his children got to be teenagers, he stopped preaching on that subject altogether.

The earliest childhood years seem to virtually fly by, at least in hindsight.  Yet, while we are engaged in raising our younger children, it does not always ‘feel’ that way.  Tiny tots can be surprisingly hyper, loud, mobile, demanding and self-absorbed.  We must constantly summon large measures of enthusiasm, energy and enlightenment to proficiently perform the job.  Central pillars of parental stewardship are as follows: shaping family and social values, molding intellect, motivating respect for lifelong learning, teaching social graces and (of course) inspiring a reverential and abiding love for The Creator.

Whatever you do…don’t you dare give up!

My children are all grown up now, but as a young parent, I enjoyed playing with them, engaging their minds, experiencing diverse cultural events and nurturing their spirits.  However, looking back, all of us older parents wish we had shared more time and given more attention to their developmental needs, especially during the critical formative years.  There’s a lesson somewhere in there for younger parents.

What do the scriptures say on this subject?  I believe they strongly suggest that family is the basic building block in the Kingdom of God, and that children are indispensable components in His divine plan.

Psalm 127:3

Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.

So how must we handle God’s “heritage?”  Just how serious is this business of raising our children?  Bottom-line: It is a matter of life or death.  What we do with our children today, i.e. the decisions we make, the guidance we provide, the precepts we model, the love we share…will strongly resonate throughout time and eternity.  Think about it.  Our choices, attitudes and actions will not only affect the lives of our children, but they will overwhelmingly impact the destiny of our grandchildren and their respective families.  If we are faithful and diligent, we have divine assurances that God will bless and endow our efforts.

Proverbs 22:6
Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

Remember.  Eventually, our children will bless us.  It might not seem apparent today.  But sooner or later, our children become our friends, our companions, and even our caretakers.  So raise them right.  Treat them right.  Love them right.  Talk to them; listen to them; learn with (and from) them.  Great will be your reward in this life and in the world to come.  Never forget: It is entirely possible that you are now teaching them how to deal with you in your later years!