Uncommen: Kingdom BusinessSample

Kingdom Parent

Psalm 127:3 ~ "Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward."

Today we are focusing on being a Kingdom Parent, and the call is no less challenging than our day one task. I remember when my wife and I hadn't had children yet; we had all kinds of plans. We wanted four, and we had names already picked out—what a couple of rookies. Then, two years later, we thought we would have children; we had a miscarriage, our first son, a miscarriage, and then our second son.

When I reread our verse and see the fruit of the womb, it sounds like my wife and I shouldn't have problems having children. But that is not stated in our verse, and we may need to revisit the last word-reward.

Being a kingdom parent experiences the birth and so many other challenges as they grow. For example, my wife and I homeschooled our children, evacuated New Orleans because of a hurricane, and moved across the country.

I tell you that because being a parent is a little more unpredictable than many of us would like to admit. Going through those miscarriages, the hurricane, and the need to move because we couldn't sell our home in New Orleans after the storm was a bit too much for us as parents through those circumstances.

It drove my wife and me to our knees in prayer and drew my family closer to God and each other. We'd spend time in the Word seeking God's peace, prayer, long discussions, and plugging into a church to help us get through it all. It helped to have each other and a support network with which we could share life.

Being a Kingdom parent should keep God at the center of our lives, no matter what we do. Unfortunately, we will all be going through our own Katrina.

What our children need from us as kingdom parents when they are 5, 15, or 25 is tremendously different. I praise God that He strengthened my wife and me during those years, as our children require stability, and we all needed God.

Uncommen Questions:

1. Have you ever gone through something that changed how you parent?

2. What did you learn from that time?

3. What did your children learn about you during that time?

Uncommen Challenge:

I challenge us to pray for wisdom and prepare for the unplanned to become a reality because our children will need us more than you and I may understand.