Can we be honest for just a minute? This parenting thing isn’t as easy as we thought it was going to be, is it? It can be tough, and it is not for the faint of heart. It was tough when our children were newborns, and we had to figure out how to live without a decent night’s sleep. It was tough when they went to school, and we realized they were going to be under the care of someone else for much of the day. And it’s tough now in the teenage years, as your child is craving independence while still needing the protection and wisdom of a parent. Whew!! What an experience it has been, is, and will continue to be!
We are hoping this week will be an incredible, life-changing experience for your student, as well as for you. One of the key verses that the students at camp will be focusing on this week is 2 Chronicles 14:7, where God says- “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” Today they’ll be hearing about the importance of humility. We know all about that, don’t we? Parenting may be one of the most humbling experiences on the planet! We really don’t have it all together. We really don’t have ALL the answers. We actually do mess-up and say and/or do the wrong thing. But in all of those mishaps, God has still given us the authority over our children, and we are the ones responsible for their care. The tricky part, however, is that sometimes how we parent is a direct result of how we are doing personally. So parent, in a moment of honesty and humility- – how are you doing? Physically? Emotionally? Spiritually?
The first thing to do to find fulfilment in all those areas is to humble yourself, to not think more highly of yourself than you should. In a time of selfies and social media influencers, this idea of humility can almost seem like a foreign way of living. The truth is, however, it’s only in living a life of total dependence on God that we can experience a life of true fulfilment. The verse in 2 Chronicles says that it’s only in humility that God can hear us, forgive us, and heal our land. It all starts here. Parent, it’s time for us to humble ourselves. It’s time to live a life that is humbled and submitted to the Lord and what He wants for us. It’s time to live a live a life that is not focused on what is best for us, but what is best for others. We need to take our eyes off of ourselves and focus them first on God and then onto others. How can we humble ourselves before the Lord? You’re doing it right now. You’re giving Him your time. You’re focused on Him. You’re making time to admit to Him that you need Him desperately today. How can we humble ourselves before others? Let’s find ways to serve others instead of expecting others to do things for us. Even Jesus, who was God in the flesh and worthy to be worshipped and served said, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). Regarding humility in parenting, let’s shift our mindset from, “Don’t they realize all that I do for them?” Let’s let our mindset be, “It’s an honor to get to serve them in this way.” Did you just giggle a little when you read that? Did you just say in your mind, “Yeh, right?” Parent, let’s make an intentional decision to change that internal soundtrack. Remember what we said in the beginning of the devotional. This isn’t easy, but parent, it’s the right way to live. Let’s humble ourselves and see what the Lord does in us and through us this week.
Come back tomorrow morning to see pictures from Day 1 of Camp!
