Help Your Marriage Thrive While Parenting TeensSample

As a mom and a dad, you and your spouse will not have the same approach, personality or thought processes. That is ok! In parenting, as in marriage, most issues don’t need to be either “my way” or “your way.” You and your spouse can disagree on the specifics of how to handle issues, while still maintaining unity.

Colossians 3 speaks to the dynamic of submission, love, and gentleness in marriage, which reflects the self-sacrificing submission and love found between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. A marriage that functions this way will be a solid foundation and source of comfort for you and your kids.

Mom and dad will not respond exactly the same, and that’s not a bad thing! It is a gift to your child that they have each of you. In most situations, the correct response isn’t black and white. When you and your spouse don’t see eye to eye on how to handle it, remember that it’s not “my way” versus “your way,” but the way you decide to handle things together.

In those tough moments, call today’s passage in Colossians 3:12-15 to mind. This paints a picture of what it looks like to follow Jesus in our daily lives. It’s not about perfecting these qualities, but rather letting Christ’s love form each of us more closely into his image. “Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony.” Make love the top priority.

Both marriage and parenting are powerful tools for sanctification, and the times that challenge us as parents also challenge our marriage. Working to maintain unity in marriage as we parent through the hard things is beneficial to the marriage, the family, and our individual sanctification.