Overview:
Proverbs 22:6
Is anything more fulfilling (or frustrating), more meaningful (or mysterious), more gratifying (or grueling), more satisfying (or surprising) than rearing your child or children? What a joyful and rewarding experience it can be; at the same time, what a challenging and demanding task! About the time we think we have our arms around the process, we are shaken loose by another obstacle, or we encounter an unexpected problem that we never saw coming.
At such times we shake our heads in amazement, overreact in a burst of anger, or drop to our knees in utter exasperation. By the end of the day we land in bed, exhausted and more than a little confused. Ever wondered if you might be going about this business of parenting all wrong?
Could it be that you have never taken the time to examine, in depth, what the Bible teaches about knowing and training your child? Frankly, that is where most moms and dads (even grandparents!)—believers and unbelievers alike—find themselves. God has recorded some vital truths and principles in His Word that must be known and followed if we hope to “get it right.” It all starts with discovering your child. Amazingly, in the process you may also discover yourself!
Message Summary:
In this opening message of the Biblical Parenting series, Pastor Chuck Swindoll addresses the profound "mixed blessing" of the parental assignment. While parenting offers some of life's greatest rewards and deepest purposes, it also often triggers our greatest fears and feelings of failure. Chuck candidly shares from his own experience, emphasizing that successful parenting is not about following a rigid formula, but about pursuing a relationship based on the wisdom of Scripture.
"Discovering Your Child and Yourself" highlights that the home is a laboratory for discovery. Before we can effectively guide our children, we must embark on a two-fold journey: identifying the unique, God-given "bents" within our children and honestly confronting the strengths and weaknesses within ourselves. This message sets the stage for a "Grace Awakening" in the home, moving parents away from the pressure of perfection and toward the peace of biblical partnership with God.Message Key Facts:
- The Dual Discovery: Parenting is a mirror. As we seek to understand our children's temperaments, we inevitably discover our own triggers, biases, and areas where we need to grow in grace.
- The Sovereignty of the Home: Psalm 127 reminds us that unless the Lord builds the house, the laborers work in vain. We are partners with God in the building process, but He is the ultimate Architect.
- Fear and Failure vs. Faith: Many parents are paralyzed by the fear of "blowing it." Chuck encourages parents to replace the fear of failure with a deep respect for the transformative power of God's Word.
- The Individuality of the Child: No two children are alike. Discovery requires patience, observation, and a willingness to accept each child as a unique creation rather than a project to be completed.
Message References:
Introduction: The Reality of the Assignment
- Context: Chuck discusses the emotional rollercoaster of parenting—the high rewards and the crushing sense of inadequacy.
- Theme: Moving from survival mode to an intentional journey of discovery.
- Scripture: Psalm 127:1–2
- Fact: God must be the center of the home construction. Relying on human effort alone leads to "eating the bread of anxious toil."
- Insight: Success begins with acknowledging that God cares more about our children than we do.
- Scripture: Psalm 127:3–5
- Fact: Children are not a burden, a project, or a mistake; they are a "heritage" and a "reward."
- Theme: Reframing our perspective to see our children as gifts to be cherished, not problems to be solved.
- Scripture: Psalm 139:1–6, 13–16
- Fact: God knows us and our children intimately—our thoughts, our paths, and our unformed substance.
- Insight: Our job as parents is to discover the "blueprint" God has already placed in each child's soul.
- Scripture: Lamentations 3:40
- Fact: "Let us examine and probe our ways, and let us return to the Lord."
- Summary: To be a healthy parent, we must be willing to let the parenting process expose our own need for grace and change.
- Final Thought: You don't have to be a perfect parent to be a good one. You simply have to be a growing one.
- Call to Action: Ask yourself today: "What is my child teaching me about myself?" and "How can I better discover the unique person God created them to be?"
