Great news for us parents… in Luke 18, the one who was justified and lifted up by Jesus was the one who admitted he wasn’t perfect.
Isn’t that awesome? We don’t serve a God who tells us to show off in our parenting and get all our ducks in a row and have everything nailed down precisely and perfectly before the Lord meets us and connects with us. Nope.
We serve a God who gets that we are flawed and human and imperfect, and need Him. A God who longs for us to simple come to him to find forgiveness, refreshment, restoration.
That doesn’t mean that we get a free pass to not care and not try to be the best parents we can be, but it does mean as we try our best to love the Lord and our kids, that Jesus will
pick us up when we fall,
give us strength when we feel rung out,
refresh us when we are weary,
forgive us when we fail,
and guide us when we feel lost.
When we fail in parenting, in life, remember that THAT is why Jesus came – to cover our imperfections in his love, his grace, his forgiveness, his perfection.
We simply need Him.
The Pharisee, the one who showed off, who had it all figured out, who bragged to everyone else about having it all together, was actually Not the one who Jesus said was justified before God.
I love Jesus’ thoughts on the man who humbled himself and desperately cried, “God have mercy on me, a sinner.” Jesus said, “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
Lord, we need you. When we are so imperfect in parenting our kids, please forgive us, lead us, and give us your wisdom. When we feel self-righteous or above others, please forgive us. In humility, we come before you Lord – we are SO in need of You. Have mercy on us and show us your grace. Please uplift us as we parent, love, and guide our children. In Jesus’ Name, amen.
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On National “Single Parent Day”, let’s take a minute to pray for these parents and to help in a simple way like bringing a meal, helping out with carpooling, a play date, or asking how we can help.
Linsey Driskill 