God-Confident Kids By Cyndie Claypool De NeveSample

Day Five

A Parent’s Purpose 

Scripture: Psalm 37:4

Your child’s personality, purpose, and passion might be completely outside of your understanding—and that’s okay. God handpicked you to be their parent, to help them understand and grow in their passion and purpose and fully stand in God-confidence. But raising a child so different from you can be difficult. As parents, it’s natural to project our feelings and experiences onto our children and assume they’ll want the same things we do or act the same way we would. But often that’s not the case. If you really want to help your child internalize God-confidence, embrace the differences as a special gift from God that brings surprise and delight—and sometimes confusion—as you grow to understand your child more and more. 

As parents, our heart’s desire might be to help our kids to grow into responsible adults. But what that looks like is a little different for everyone. We need to know what makes our children tick, how God handcrafted them individually, in order to help them discover for what good purpose they were created. And it might not be at all what we expect. 

Several years ago a mom told me she was very concerned about her daughter’s desire to be a social worker. The low pay, frustrations, and possible danger made the mom nervous. I think she wanted me to commiserate with her about what a terrible choice her daughter was making. But I was impressed with her daughter’s passion. It was both practical and compelling. After the mom and I chatted a bit, I remember telling her with a smile: “I have one child who wants to be a Disneyland princess and another who wants to direct movies in Hollywood. Let them explore their dreams and passion and see where God leads them.” 

I am not my child’s Holy Spirit. I can’t begin to imagine the purpose God has planned for them if they delight in Him and follow Him with their heart, soul, and mind. My goal is to help them love God wholeheartedly. That’s my passion. That’s my purpose. And truly, that’s what gives me peace as a parent. God is the one directing their paths. I’m just here as a guide. 

What do you enjoy most about how you and your child are different from one another? How can you help guide your child to see God’s purposes in his or her uniqueness?