To view the video on YouTube:https://youtu.be/2VDqKeVhLj0
SHOW NOTES
Welcome back to the Hope Rescue Podcast! This week on Episode 44 we are wrapping up our series on parenting. If you missed the rest of the series, go back to episode 41 to hear the start of the series. This week we are answering the last two questions: Do you view your children as a burden or a blessing? and What role should you play in your children's future? Let’s get into the discussion!
To begin, Tim and Kimberly discuss whether our children are a burden or a blessing. Kimberly explains that while we do feel the weight and burden of raising our children, they are a blessing to us every day. If you have tuned into the last few weeks of the podcast, you already know that the scripture we are referencing again and again is Psalm 127 “Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep. Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one's youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.”
This is not to say that parenting isn’t hard or that our children are never annoying, because if you are a parent you know that kids are annoying at times. But we have to switch our perspective from viewing our children as a burden to seeing them for the blessing that they are. The Lord has given each of our children to us as a gift that we should cherish and invest in. Every child is a blessing, no matter what. If you have children, ask yourself which of your children you can envision doing life without. You can’t! They are a vital part of your family team, and they complete your family. Without any one of your children, there would be a hole.
The second question we are answering today is: What role should you play in your children’s future? Tim brings us back to Psalm 127 where it says, “Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one's youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them!” Children are compared to arrows, which can be shot far beyond the reach of the warrior himself. If we train up our children properly, we can pull them back like an arrow and shoot them into the world to accomplish far more than we could have on our own. Our children will go in the direction that we point them, so we have to focus on what direction we are pointing them in. And the direction that we should point them in is the direction that they naturally go.
Proverbs 22:6 says, "Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.” Tim explains that the scripture specifically says to train up the child in the way HE should go. Tim and Kimberly have 7 children all together, and not one of them are the exact same. They all have different personalities, talents, and tendencies, and when raising them it was important that Tim and Kimberly focus on leading each child in their own direction. Tim says, “Your job as a parent is to train each of your children uniquely to their personality, gifts, and talents.”
So to answer the question, what role do we play in our children's future? Find out what direction they are supposed to go in. Find out their talents and passions and come alongside them. Don't try to force them to be someone they are not, and don't expect them to excel in ways they are not naturally inclined. Learn about your children and develop a unique plan for each of them. Kimberly says, “Don't let your ego get in the way of your parenting. Allow your children to drive their visions and come alongside, support, and encourage them.”
The acronym S.H.A.P.E. was coined by Rick Warren and it stands for Spiritual gifts, Heart, Abilities, Personality, and Experiences. It's a way to help people think about and analyze their (or their children's) individual characteristics that God has invested in them. Use this acronym to find out God’s direction for your children. What are their spiritual gifts? Their abilities? Their Personality? Get to know your child and the direction they are going in, and help them fulfill God’s plan for their lives.
Join us next week as we start a discussion about Christmas! Thanks for tuning in! We love you guys!
QUOTES
“While we do feel the weight of stewarding our children through life, we also feel the blessing of our children every single day.” -Kimberly
“Your job as a parent is to train each of your children uniquely to their personality, gifts, and talents.” -Tim
“Don't let your ego get in the way of your parenting. Allow your children to drive their visions and come alongside, support, and encourage them.” -Kimberly
REFERENCED SCRIPTURE
Psalm 127 “Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep. Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one's youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.”
Proverbs 22:6 "Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.”
