Proverbs 22:6 — “Train up a child in the way he should go, Even when he is old he will not depart from it.”
Wouldn’t it be great if you could revisit yourself in the past to advise on a situation? Not that I have it all together currently, but I know the young me would have benefitted from some council from the future me. I think it would have gone a little something like this.
Life Situations | Experience
Young Me: Are we ready for a baby?
Wise Me: I don’t know if anyone is indeed “ready” for a baby as they come with a lot of work, and expense. But you are surrounded by a vast support network, and God has chosen you to be the dad of this baby.
Lesson: God has a plan for you. Trust God that He will prepare you for what lies ahead.
Young Me: My wife wants to quit her job and stay home with the baby. Can we survive on one income?
Wise Me: It’s going to be hard, and it will require sacrifice on everyone’s part. You will have to deny yourself things that you are not even aware of yet. But it will pay off when your son/daughter gets older.
Lesson: Trusting in God in the unknown is difficult, and that is why you must always take these types of decisions to the Father in prayer. Ask for wisdom and discernment.
Young Me: This child is disobedient, and I’ve about had it with them.
Wise Me: Do you think you were any less disobedient toward your parents? Or even God? This is when it’s essential to display Godly character and open communication with your children. Discuss what the problem is, listen to their point of view and then tell them what your expectation is. Provide a way for them to communicate but teach them that you’ve been praying about this, and this is your final decision.
Lesson: There is a way to communicate with your children without anger and frustration, and it always starts with taking the issue to God in prayer first.
Young Me: I’m not ready for my child to go to college /get married/move out of the house.
Wise Me: Change is a natural part of the growth process. It’s why it’s so important to invest in your children from the time when they are born. That way you will never miss a chance to be there for them and to enjoy all those moments of growth.
Lesson: If you have prayed for your children, displayed a Godly example of a dad, and prepared them for what lies ahead, then you have done all you were called to do.
Now replace “Wise Me” with God, and that is what the Holy Spirit does on a daily basis. No time travel needed. He’s always there for you to provide you Godly counsel in any situation.
About the Author: Tj Todd is the President of Studio490 Creative Services and Uncommen.
T.J. — this is SO good on so many levels. Keep up the great work!
Thank you brother! Praise God! And press on!
I needed to hear this. We have younger children (8, 7, and 4) and they are going through a season of life where they are all very wild. They are constantly wrestling and pestering each other which typically turns into bickering and fighting. All though they are kids and quite honestly are just acting like kids, my wife and I feel like all we do is get after them. As a person who struggles with some anger issues (nothing physical, just raising my voice more than I should), I need to step back in those situations and allow them to share their side (communicate) and then calmly direct them back in the right direction. I tend to cut them off when they start explaining why they did what they did. Knowing that what I do now and how I handle situations now will likely impact how open our kids will communicate with us down the road as they encounter various situations. Thank you for sharing this. This hit home this morning and I needed to hear this.
I too struggle with losing my patience and raising my voice with my child and understand how difficult it is in the moment. I have been reading a book by Charles F. Stanley, “Surviving in an Angry World: Finding Your Way to Personal Peace” and it has been helping me tremendously.