What is our Goal?

We are very blessed to have an amazing network of parents here at Hope Center and I just know that there are great things that can be shared to use to encourage one another. I asked Debbie McClary, mother of senior Liam and sophomore Kira, to share something from her heart. THANK YOU DEBBIE!

What is our Goal?

   When our kids were younger, we were in a great small group study based on Chip Ingram’s ‘’Effective Parenting in a Defective World”. This summer we went through the study again, as leaders of a group of parents with younger kids.  What struck me the most both times was Ingram’s assertion that as parents our goal is usually that we want our kids to be happy, while God’s goal for them is to be holy, to be like Jesus.  We want them to get a good education, to be successful, to live a nice life and not have to struggle. But if we stop and think about it we realize that is a worldly view of success, not a Biblical one.  The Bible tells us what our goal should be, both for our kids and ourselves – to know God and be more like him. To love God and others and fulfill the purpose God has for us, to focus on living in a way that is pleasing to God, not our own selfish ambition.

   If we trust God and believe His ways are best, then His goal must be the right one!    Jesus went through so much more than our kids ever will and if he is truly our role model then we need to help our kids learn how to deal with life’s ups and downs. This means that we can’t fix all our kid’s mistakes, make sure they never get hurt and continually strive to give them an easy carefree life.  That is not easy for me at all, but I see the wisdom in it. I hate for my kids to be sad or disappointed and yet I know that life is full of hardship and sadness and they (and I) need to learn how to deal with it and trust God anyway. Life is hard, but God is good! We can help them to have the perspective that God is sovereign and somehow is working all things together for our good and His glory.  As Jesus told us in John 16:33, ‘’In this world you will have trouble, but take heart! I have overcome the world.” Thank you Lord!

If you would like to follow up with Debbie for discussion and encouragement, her email is 4mcclarys@gmail.com 
If you would like to check out more on "Effective Parenting in a Defective World", click http://www.amazon.com/Effective-Parenting-Defective-World-Family/dp/141430384X

Interested in sharing something on the Lighthouse Loop blog? Talk to me and I'd love to hear what you would like to share!
Paul / paul@hopecenter.cc