Have you ever heard (or spoken) one or both of these statements?
- “I can’t imagine raising kids in today’s world!” or
- “I’m worried about what my kids will face in the future!”
Parents, many nights are spent on our knees praying for our children and the trials they will face. We want to protect our children, keep them healthy, and watch them grow into adulthood. The future weighs heavily on our minds. It’s hard to miss the sinful trends in the world and to ignore how these ideologies naturally progress. As Christians, we know the world is heading for destruction and so we wonder, “who’d want to be a part of, or raise, the next generation?”
Jesus guides us to think differently about the future and our children’s role in it. Two weeks ago, we read this in John 12, “Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But for this purpose, I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name.” At every moment of Jesus life, he knew what the culmination of his work would be. Right before his crucifixion, he contemplated avoiding this hour. Immediately he realizes, “But for this purpose, I have come to this hour.” God sovereignly planned out each step of salvation and brought Jesus to and through the crucifixion.
In view of our children’s future, our souls can be troubled too, and we may want our children to avoid future trials. But we must realize that God has brought our children into the world for a purpose. He has sovereignly placed them in the moment of time, geographic location, and people groups with which they will interact. Instead of dwelling on our worry, we must trust God’s sovereign purposes. Instead of saying, “I can’t imagine raising kids in today’s world,” we should praise God by saying, “I can’t imagine what God has in store for my kids or the impact they will have by His power!”
Whether you are a parent or not, commit to spending time in prayer for the next generation. Pray that they would be a light in their generation. And pray for them and yourself, “Father, glorify your name!”
Pastor Jesse