I have been a parent for just over seven years now, and it is one of the most joyful and challenging endeavors I have ever attempted. My guess is that most parents would agree. From the early days of parenting that exhaust us physically to the latter days of parenting that exhaust us emotionally, the path of parenting is filled with all sorts of various trials and struggles and hardships. It is a call to self-sacrifice that is unparalleled. So, what might the Lord want us to learn from the suffering that often accompanies parenting? Perhaps it is that we as parents still need to be parented ourselves.

In any given parenting situation my first instinct is to blame the difficulties of parenting on my kids and their struggles to behave or be responsible or express appreciation or hold over their plates while they’re eating or pick up after themselves. Though these issues must be addressed, what must also be addressed is why I react to these issues the way that I do. Frustration is often my first response to my kids’ failures to behave in certain ways, and, if I’m not careful, I end up parenting with the goal of restoring my own comfort and convenience, rather than with the goal of helping them understand their need for the Lord. And when that is my approach, it is a reminder that I too need to be parented.

Fortunately, for those whose faith is in Christ, the Bible tells us that we can call God “Father” (Romans 8:15-16). Remembering that God is my Father helps me remember that I never stop needing to be parented. My kids are not the only ones with issues. I have issues too, issues of pride and self-centeredness and anger. The situations that require me to parent my children are not hassles or inconveniences; rather, they are opportunities to not only see into the hearts of my children and help them see their need for Christ, but also opportunities to look into my own heart and be honest about my continual need for Christ. As parents, may we remember that we always need parenting, and we have a loving Father who is committed to parent us no matter how often we may fall short in our own parenting.

Ben