Jul 23 2009
No Perfect Parents (and Children)
For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.
None of us are perfect. Especially in parenting.
I have to live up to God’s standards because He’s perfect. It means I have to raise my child to His standards also. I make mistakes all the time. I don’t have all of the answers. I don’t know it all. As a man, I must be more sensitive to this fact. Men seldom apologize for their mistakes.
My child doesn’t always behave properly. She doesn’t always do what I say, nor what’s expected of her.
Boundaries are needed, both for parents and children. My child has boundaries she never crosses (age appropriate), such as lying, stealing, drugs, sex, etc. My boundaries must also be clear and consistent: no anger, no abuse, etc. I must be predictable.
It’s human nature to please self. It’s in my nature to defend my child, even if she’s wrong. Sometimes, I have to stop defending her as a victim. My child can be wrong. She must suffer the consequences if she’s wrong.
With our lack of perfection, it’s good to know that God has our backs. In all of this, prayer is my best defense. In all of things, bring it to God. I fall short, but God picks me up, and lets me continue on my way to perfection.
