It’s impossible not to notice the explosion of kids in our church, and along with that comes many first time parents! There’s so much for new parents to learn, to pray about—sometimes just to survive! Lol So here’s an article I adapted to help our ‘newbies’ spiritually navigate this sometimes challenging but wondrous time!
Laura Kuehn suggests: 4 Ways to Trust God as a New Parent!
- Trust God with the Unknown
The story of baby Moses is often one of the earliest Bible stories that children learn. But it’s not just the story of a tiny baby in a basket destined to be a great leader of God’s people—the real heroine of the story at this early stage is Moses’ mom, Jochebed.
She knew there was something special about her beautiful baby—born at a terrifying time in Jewish history when the life of every Hebrew baby boy was in danger of being snuffed out at Pharaoh’s order.
For a while, Jochebed was able to hide Moses from the ruthless soldiers, but when she knew that was no longer possible, she created and executed a plan. She had no idea how the story would end, but her faith guided her and empowered her to act when the outcome was unknown.
As you stand over your newborn’s crib flooded with emotions, know that God is the God of the unknown. You will not be able to protect your child from every difficulty in life, but always remember that God is simultaneously the bridge and the destination through difficult times.
Just as God foresaw Moses’ future and helped his mom preserve him fort, our heavenly Father is intimately intertwined with the journey your child is on, so you can trust Him with the unknown.
2. Trust God’s Promises
Hannah was loved by her husband, Elkanah, but lived at a time when a woman’s worth was defined by the number of sons she bore, so her husband’s loving devotion to her was no salve for the wound of being barren. The Bible tells us that she prayed with such fervor that Eli, the priest, thought she was drunk. But in that desperate prayer, Hannah made a deal with God: ‘Promise to give me a son, and I promise to give him back to You.’
God fulfilled His promise, and Hannah was faithful to hers. Samuel may have been 3 to 5 years old when Hannah placed him in the care of Eli the priest, at the temple. Like Jochebed, she was relinquishing control of her beloved and longed-for son. But her faith in the God who keeps promises gave her the strength to keep hers!
As we think of Hannah’s faith, we’re reminded of the trustworthy nature of God. He is faithful to all of His promises. And a powerful one I’ve claimed over the years is Philippians 1:6, which says, “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” As you set out on your parenting journey, pray these promises of God over your child. He can be trusted to be faithful and true to everything He says He will do!
3. Trust God to Make a Way
The well-known tale of a father who is willing to sacrifice his son on an altar is a story that can make you cringe. But the truth is hidden beneath the surface. It’s not about blind obedience: it’s about a man who trusted God to make a way!
When Abraham traded in his comfortable and prestigious life in Ur for the life of a homeless nomad, he trusted God to make a way. When he looked up at the stars in the sky and trusted God’s promise that his descendants would be just as numerous (despite his age and barren wife), he trusted God to make a way. And when he laid his son on the altar and raised his knife to slay him, he trusted God to make a way. And every time God did!
God may call you to do some difficult things in your journey as a Christian parent. Spend time getting to know the heart of God. Understand that He is a good and loving father to you. When you understand who God is, you, like Abraham, you will be able to trust that no matter what God calls you to do, He will always make a way!
4. Trust God to Water the Seeds of Faith
2 Timothy 1:5, tells us the origin of young Timothy’s trust in God, where Paul says, “I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.”
We don’t know exactly what they did to impart their faith to Timothy, but it was influential enough to help his faith flourish and keep him grounded in the Lord. He wasn’t dependent upon them to continue to pour their faith into him. Their work was completed when his faith became his own. But then they released him to the Lord and trusted Him to continue to water the seeds they planted.
The gift of our spiritual influence aided by the Holy Spirit, is given consistently over time. A solid foundation is laid brick by brick, day by day. As you talk about the work of God in your life; as you share how your trust in God’s Word never returns empty; and as you tell your child about the assurance you have in Jesus—His Word fulfills the purposes for which He sends it out (Isaiah 55:11). Tuck the Word of God into the corners of your child’s heart and pray daily for their relationship with Jesus. And then trust God to bring to maturity what you have started!
Becoming a parent for the first time is both exciting and terrifying. But you have a heavenly Father who is good and trustworthy. Trust Him with the unknown, cling to His promises, know that He always makes a way for His will to be done, and have confidence that He will always complete what He starts. The path is not always easy or clear, but you have a loving companion every step of the way!