In the Battle

Talking with a friend recently about our adult children, I was left with lots of questions.  What do you say to your adult kids when they are doing things out of God’s will? Do you feel responsible for their lifestyle? Do you have guilt? Well, the answer is yes, of course I have guilt, and I do feel responsible. I’m the mom! I was guilty of living a watered down version of Christianity. It hurt my kids, and it hurt my life in many ways. I can’t go back and change that . The good news is I have made strides in becoming closer to God and really allowing the redemptive power of Jesus Christ to rule my life. Do I still backside occasionally? Of course I do. I am grateful for grace. I am brought back into right focus much more quickly than I used to be. When I take one step forward and two steps back, the back steps are much shorter than they used to be. Fortunately I am not losing ground.

 But when I was in my twenties and okay, even in my thirties, it was an entirely different scenario. I was in a battle. The good versus evil wrestling match occurring daily, I was mostly out of God’s will. By the grace of God, He brought me back to Him. It‘s been a long and sometimes ugly process of tug of war; my will versus His will for my life. This world says do what feels good, so most of us do. I have lost many battles, but know now that Jesus won the war for me! So while I acknowledge my shortcomings as a parent, I am on the other side of that battleground now, and know that there is victory in Jesus. I share that with them almost daily. I don’t focus on the “what could have been’s”, I take comfort in the “what can be’s.” I use my experiences, good and bad, to teach my kids. Of course I want them to learn from my mistakes and escape the painful consequences. But ultimately, they have free will. The important thing for them to know is that they are loved by a merciful God. I pray for the years in the battle to be short for all my kids, big and little, so peace may find them sooner than later. I pray for a change of heart for anyone who is resisting giving God control of their life, and for a true acceptance of Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

2 Peter 3:9
The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.