Peace and Parenting
There are times in my life, when I donʼt know what to do. I am so glad to serve a God whose love and care fills me with the peace and assurance that He always knows everything. Itʼs in these times I lean in the most and rest in Him, as my Father, and His promises. - H.C. Daniels
#GCG Blog 07 (Exhortation) - Written by: H.C. Daniels
I received an alarming text from my oldest daughter. Of course as a mother, I began searching for ways to help, even though my options were limited. So many scenarios flew through my head. Should I call her? Is she safe? Is she ok? Can she make it through the morning? Do I need to call someone else? As you can see my momma bear mode went into overdrive. But it dawned on me, I donʼt know what to do and I felt quite helpless. Then, a peace came over me as I remembered where my help comes from. My help comes from the Lord (Psalm 121).
I was listening recently to a sermon about the armor of God (Ephesians 6:13-17); it was a familiar passage, but something really stuck out to me this time. The pastor emphasized and expanded on the footgear fitted with the readiness of the Gospel of Peace (Ephesians 6:15). I havenʼt really heard anyone go in depth regarding its meaning before. As explained in the sermon, the Gospel of Peace is the great news that in Christ, we are provided with a peace that passes all understanding (Philippians 4:6-7). The peace we receive in Christ is a promise, but something we must take hold of and stand firm in. Standing in the peace of God provided to us as believers is a weapon to use against the schemes of the enemy. The enemy comes to kill, steal, and destroy. The way we stand firm in the peace of God is by holding fast to His promises.
I know the promises that God has given me concerning my children. However, the enemy will try to get me to lose my balance by throwing fiery darts (confusion, doubt, fear, lies); but in addition to standing firm, I can use the shield of faith to block them (Ephesians 6:16). As I recited Godʼs promises from His Word to me concerning my children, Godʼs peace began filling my heart and mind, as also promised in His Word.
I also began to pray and God, in His Fatherly way, reminded me that if I care about my children this much, how much more does He care for them and for me? As I thought about my children even more, I thought about how much I wished they knew they were loved and how much I cared for them. This love is not something they have to manage or wish for; it is great, real, and will never change. And the Lord gently touched my heart reminding me of the same regarding His love for me. It is not something that I have to work for but it is a gift freely given. If He loves me way more than I could imagine, I need to rest on this promise as well, knowing that He will take care of my children better than I ever could.
As a parent, I am motivated by love to do whatever I can when it comes to my children but the fact is, I canʼt do everything. However, God reminded me this morning that He can do anything. His love and peace give me assurance that my children and I belong to Him. We are not orphans, but are His adopted children (Ephesians 1:5) with a heavenly Father and Savior whose love for us will never fail. With His parenting, comes the promise of peace.
Blessings,
H.C. Daniels
