Endurance in Life - Part 1

“…be strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience…” Col 1:11
 
Parenting is a marathon. Eighteen years from birth to high school graduation, and even longer if your kids stay on the “payroll”. Each “mile” of parenting brings a unique set of joys – and plenty of new challenges. Sometimes you might even wonder if the issues you face today will ever go away. Will your son or daughter grow out of this phase, or is this – God forbid – how he or she will be as an adult? 
 
In this prayer, Paul longs for us to please the Lord in every way: seeing God-sized results from all of our serving, growing ever closer to the Lord, and experiencing the kind of power we need from God in order to live with great endurance and patience. 
 
Maybe a few reminders will help us run the parenting race:
 

1. Rely on God’s power in parenting – A simple prayer, “God, I cannot do this alone” can set your feet on the right path each morning. Go ahead and admit it; you are not smart enough, strong enough, or creative enough on your own to run the parenting race. So don’t hesitate to invoke God’s power as you relate to your kids today. Also, look for people in your current circle who provide companionship on this road. Your spouse, a trusted friend, or a neighbor may be the source of encouragement you need to press on today. Now sing with me, “We’re all in this together!” 
2. Maintain God’s perspective – Whatever stage your kids are in today will change. They will not always be as they are right now. God’s perspective sees the “finish line” as well as the current “mile marker”. Remember that you are not simply trying to manage this set of issues, but seeking to build character into your kids that will apply when they are independent adults. Think, “How do I want them to behave as an adult?” and then parent toward that goal.
3. Be patient – Whether your child declares a desire to get a tattoo, or date a freak-a-zoid, or declares there is no god, we are constantly tempted to react. Most of the time our knee-jerk responses are not helpful. Be patient. Listen well. Respond with good questions. Replace the “NO WAY!” response with “That’s interesting. So tell me what happens when…” Listen, breathe, think, pray, then respond. 

 
Even as you run the parenting race, your children run the “growing up” race. Run with endurance, and in a way that enables everyone to win.