Fear NotSample

I'm Afraid That My Family Is Coming Apart

It is a thrill to have children. Their energy, laughter, craziness, and spirit bring joy to the often-tired grown-ups in their homes. They need us; we need to be needed. And yet parenting is exhausting. It is exhausting to keep helpless newborns alive, tend them through childhood illnesses, and teach them how to act around other people. You will lose sleep and money helping them develop life skills.

But the worst aspect of parenting is our fear of what they might become as they get older. We parents can bear almost any strain when they are young. But if they grow up and reject our values, reject their families, and worst of all reject their Savior, our grief knows no limits.

What is your family history like? Are there young adults who are straying in the wrong direction? Does divorce stalk you? Are there children of unwed parents who have appeared? Are the generations estranged? Have your kids or grandkids been in jail?

King David was a great warrior, poet, and statesman. But he appears to have been a lousy father. His son staged a successful revolt and actually succeeded in driving his royal father off his throne. Absalom's death brought David no relief. Does his bitter lament sound familiar to you? "O my son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! If only I had died instead of you--O Absalom, my son, my son!" (2 Samuel 18:33).

(Read the next devotion for God's reassurance.)