Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them; they shall not be ashamed, but shall speak with their enemies in the gate. (Psalm 127:5)
Today’s big question: where is contentment for a Christian parent?
You might wonder if today’s verse states it is possible for you to be ashamed of your children. Well, that isn’t what the verse is about. It has nothing to do with whether or not we can love and be God-honoring parents to our children no matter the situation.
Continuing from the previous devotional, this verse reminds me how a Christian parent is never ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ. We live in a sinful world, and many good Christian parents have children who have grown up and denied Christ. It remains the parents’ job to be strong Christians, honor God in every activity, and pray for their children to know Him.
In its sin-cursed state, this world has always pointed fingers of shame against those who know and love God. The children of Israel were despised by the nations around them. The prophets were hated for proclaiming truth. Later, the apostles were persecuted and killed.
There has been a constant history of hatred against those who love Christ—Jesus was also despised and rejected. Through it all, God has built a great army of His followers. When parents experience the great joy of seeing their children love and know Christ, they must also recognize that the world will despise and reject their children, but this brings no shame.
At Answers in Genesis and the Creation Museum, we are often accused of being child-abusers by those who reject Christ. The premise of this accusation is that we are abusing children by training them in the Word of God and by disagreeing with the secular science establishment regarding evolution and millions of years. Critics consider this teaching to be false education.
The world has always seen God’s wisdom as foolishness because the heart of man is deceitful and desperately wicked (Jeremiah 17:9). To stand on the Word of God brings no shame for parents because they are not responsible to the standards of this world but to the Lord Jesus Christ.
If my child is beaten for the sake of Christ, it brings me no shame. If my child is ridiculed for the sake of Christ, it brings me no shame. If my child is isolated for the sake of Christ, it brings me no shame. My prayer is that my child knows and loves Christ and lives to honor Him. As parents, it is always a cause for rejoicing when our children are following Christ and standing for the truth of His Word.
Today’s big idea: my parental contentment is rooted in the gospel of Christ.
http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/2011/01/20/where-is-contentment