The Blessings of A Problemed Child
Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Sometimes, life is just plain hard. My wife and I are dealing with a situation with our daughter where she did something wrong, and it was clear that went against everything we have taught her. We have had our challenges with her this year that went beyond just doing school from home, and I admit that I’m no picnic to deal with 24/7 either 😊 Nonetheless, we were frustrated with the whole situation, and I found myself asking God, “Why me?” Then as I asked that question, I hear a voice in my head saying, “You asked the question, and you are the answer.” We sometimes forget that the role of being a parent is not about receiving a trophy or award for the moment. I can see the reward whenever I talk to my oldest daughter, who I see as a better version of me. As I remember, she wasn’t always ‘that child.’ As I refocus my thoughts and prayers to God, I am thankful for the many lessons He has taught my wife and me about parenting. As the omniscient Heavenly Father, I know He has the entire story written for us from beginning to end. My prayer is that I make the choices that please Him best, and I am thankful for His divine wisdom and presence in my life in dealing with my youngest daughter.
We must always be thankful for our situation in good times and bad. Years ago, I remember writing a devotion asking why people would always say, “Thank you, Jesus,” when things would not go well. Having a mindset of thankfulness reminds you that no matter the circumstances, God is truly in control, and He has a plan. Trusting in that is crucial because if I do not, I am constantly worrying. In my case, I ask myself, "Am I using the right words in my discussion. Is my punishment too harsh or not harsh enough?" There are multitudes of second guessing that can go through one’s head when they are not trusting God. However, if we truly trust Him, the choices we make are ones that are already blessed. They will work toward His plan. Our goal thus is to go to Him prayerfully, and then make the decisions trusting your choice will have His favor toward you.
When God is on your side, there is no need to focus on what might go wrong. Paul shares the essence of why living by faith works. He said:
Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.
We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. Romans 5:1-3
Why then should we ever be troubled when bad times come? Let us remember the joy we have in Jesus Christ and be thankful at all times. What troubles can you lay at the feet of God today? How can Paul’s message bring you comfort in times of ‘problems and trials?’ My prayer is that no matter where we are today, we remember to be truly thankful especially in my case for a problemed child. Amen.
This Devotion was written and contributed to The Hope Fellowship by Kent Williams