30 Mar Why Parenting Is A Blessing

7 Amazing Opportunities In Parenting

I have been a parent for only a short while and I must say it is one of the most challenging roles to play, it is  hectic, yet thrilling, enjoyable and satisfying. Being a wife is a lot of work, marriage is a lot of work, but parenting, if it must be done correctly will test your last nerve. Your love, faith and patience are put to the test. By April 5, only about a week away, I will be a parent for 15 years and despite its challenges, I will not trade it for anything else. Parenting has been a blessing to me in more ways than I can possibly count.

It gives beautiful privileges and opportunities that we ought to be grateful for. Here are some I have considered and appreciate God for:

1. I  Am A Channel To Birth God’s Unique Creation

This means a great deal to me. That God considered me worthy to use me to bring His unique creations into the earth. He could have chosen some other people but out the over zillion people on this earth, He chose me to bring forth His boys, each sent with their unique assignments to fulfil for our God here on earth. It is a great privilege because they are His and He trusted my husband and I enough to give us stewardship of these unique precious souls.
Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, The fruit of the womb is a reward. Psalm 127:3 NKJV

Children belong to God and are from Him, If He chose to share His children with me, then He must consider me useful to His purpose for their lives and I feel honoured by this.

2. God And I Are In Partnership

For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him. Genesis 18:19

Who knows how to handle a thing better than the one who made it? God created our children, He knows why He created them, what they are here for, the best way to raise them and every other thing that relates to them. In parenting my children, I discover every day that if I must do it right and see the fruits, I must continually partner with God.
If I told a business man that I was in partnership with the top business man of the time, they would consider me to be in a very enviable position, not so? Then consider being in partnership with The Almighty God, Creator and Sustainer of the entire universe in any venture… mind blowing I know! I have known that without God I will fail woefully as a parent and in life. So I hold unto Him like success in parenting and every other thing depends on it. This has led me to work hard towards growing in my relationship with God, to;

• Pray like everything depends on it
• Study God’s word like everything depends on it
• Obey God’s word like everything depends on it
• Speak God’s word like everything depends on it
• Love like everything depends on it

In striving to do parenting right, my relationship with God has had to get better by the minute. Click To Tweet

3. It Is Providing Me Everyday Spiritual Training

I prayed so hard to be a parent, and I read so many literature and articles on parenting that it shocked me to my bones how unprepared I was for what I was about to face. It was so much more to read, than to actually live the things that I had read.

• I am learning to lay aside anger and love instead.
• I am learning to hold my tongue when my flesh is crying out loud to speak foolishness that would hurt my children.
• I am learning to be temperate even as I administer discipline and consequences for disobedience and wrong doing.
• I am learning to be patient and listen to things that are not as exciting to me as it is to our boys.
• I am learning everyday, to put my needs aside so that their needs can be taken care of.
• I am learning daily that my life is not meant to be lived for me alone.
• I have learnt that in order to take my place at the top, I must serve from the base.

Parenting is helping me to grow in the fruits of The Spirit. Click To Tweet

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control…
Galatians 5:22-23

4. I Am Conscious To Live What I Teach

I must tell you, sometimes God speaks to me through what we have been teaching our children. And even when I am out of my children’s sight God will flash a verse like;

You, therefore, who teach another, do you not teach yourself? You who preach that a man should not steal, do you steal? You who say, “Do not commit adultery,” do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? You who make your boast in the law, do you dishonour God through breaking the law? Romans 2:21-23 NKJV

I may not have considered doing any of those but God has used this verse to stop me when I was about to do anything that didn’t please Him. And of course when I think that we teach our children to always only do those things that please God, I had to make the right choice and decision.
This has also prompted me to strive to live as an example of the believer before my children.

5. The Joys Of Nurturing

When I was a child, I often loved to plant seeds and watch them grow with excitement, would take grains of beans and corns, I would plant then in a little corner behind our house. I would attempt to nurture it as I watch, water and sometimes dig in anticipation to see it the grain was beginning to grow. I had no idea I was doing harm to the seed by doing that, but any way, I would often jump for joy when I saw the seed grow and bear fruits, I felt like I had done something really amazing.
I remember many times when I would go to check on our boys before going to bed, how I would stand in awe and ask myself how in the world these three complete humans came out of me.
And many times now I look at them and think of when they were born, their baby smiles, when they started sitting, crawling, walking, talking and the different growth processes they have been through… and I would marvel at how I was part of all of those.
I am often amazed at how God has used my husband and I to nurture them to this point. Our children are not perfect but they sure have shown us so many reasons to continue being the parent that we are and even more. We have seen them make right choices, we have seen them speak the right words, we have seen them desire good, we have seen them live the things we have taught them and this does give us many joys.
I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth. 3 John 1:4 NKJV

I am sure that when you look at your children, you too experience these joys.

6. My Trust In God Has Had To Deepen

I am one of those parents who want to shield and protect, watch every move, be everywhere… I have since discovered that I cannot raise my children in fear, besides, I cannot be every where with my children all the time. But I know God can, He is everywhere all the time, He is The Protector, Defender and Helper that can be depended upon, so I am learning to turn all my concerns, worries and fears to God.
I have to trust God with our boys, after all, they belong to Him and no one knows better how to look after them. As a result, my trust in God is getting deeper and stronger daily as I turn our boys over to Him all the time and turn my heart from worry to His word and His promises to be there with and for them round the clock.

Seek the Lord and His strength; Seek His face evermore! 1 Chronicles 16:11 NKJV
…Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7 NKJV

7. Now I Understand Better How God Feels As A Parent

When my children disobey me I am broken hearted, so now I understand how God feels whenever I go against His will.
When my children are in pain, I feel their pain and wish I could take it away. So I understand that God feels my pain too, the great thing is, He has done something about my pain.
When my boys do things that make me glad, I am excited and proud they are my boys.So I know how proud of me God is as I strive everyday to do those things that please Him.
I love it when I know my children trust my decisions and instructions are for their best, so I know how God feels knowing that I trust His will for me… I could go on and on but I guess by now you understand what I mean.
God is The Perfect parent, and as His children, we can understand Him better and draw on our parenting to know how to relate better with Him.
For you are our Father, though Abraham doesn’t know us, and Israel does not acknowledge us You, Yahweh, are our Father. Our Redeemer from everlasting is your name. Isaiah 63: 16 WEB
Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God. 1 John 3:1
A son honours his father, And a servant his master. If then I am the Father, Where is My honour?
Malachi 1:6 NKJV

As parents who are God’s children, we learn to seek to please God like we expect our children to do the things that please us.

Do you consider parenting a privilege and an opportunity?
How has parenting helped you as a child of God?

Copyright© Ugochi Oritsejolomisan 2017