Guarding Base

Recently, I met  with a group of awesome young parents for the beginning of a new bible study group.  The idea for this group is that we all want to raise our children to follow Jesus and glorify God and we can better do that by encouraging each other and spurring each other on.  In this first meeting we mostly talked about the various topics we hope to cover and shared some of our concerns, fears, and anxieties about raising children in our context.  Frankly, the list of issues is overwhelming and I, for one, feel completely under-qualified to be a good parent.  I also know from experience that I fail in countless ways.  So, as I am beginning to think through how this group of parents can help each other along this common path, here is my first thought... we have to start from "base."

Many good, active kids games include the concept of "base."  A place of beginnings,  of safety, of return, of rest, and a place around which the rules and boundaries for the game revolve.  Take for instance everyone's favorite, hide and seek.  If you played the game the way I did as a child, the goal upon being discovered was always to run with as much speed and agility as possible to get back to base without being tagged by whomever was "it.".  I truly believe we as Christ-following parents need a firm sense of "base" in our lives.  Sure it would be awesome to approach life like a childhood game, but that's not me so I'm not taking this metaphor in that direction.   Rather, what I mean is that there is a core or a center of the parent's life that not only informs but shapes the quality of that parent.  We must understand that "base" of our parenting and nurture and grow it if we want to be truly effective, godly parents.

I am completely convinced that that core, that base, is a personal and vibrant walk with God through faith in Jesus Christ.  I know... you've heard that all before.  You've checked that box.  You recognize that truth must be included as an obligatory part of any bible-oriented discussion of parenting but now you're ready for the real answer.  

I am fully convinced that this is the real answer to the beginning of great parenting.  If we don't start with a desire to know God deeply and personally through Jesus, we will never succeed as parents.  Furthermore, if we don't invest foremost in our pursuit of God and our understanding of him, we will not grow to be increasingly better parents.  The relationship that I am talking about is a life-long passion that moves and motivates the heart of a person to walk with God consistently and to seek in Him the satisfaction of all our wants, our hopes, our dreams, and our desires.  

God is not a means to an end, He is the end!  He does not provide what we want, He is what we want.  He doesn't get us closer to our goal, He is our goal!

Here are two important truths about this type of relationship with God: it is not easy to maintain and yet it is essential.  In Jeremiah 9:23-24, God says, "Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, or the rich man boast in his riches, or the strong man boast in his strength.   But let he who boasts boast about this, that he knows and understands me, that i am the Lord."  Can we add "let the good parent not boast in her parenting"?  i think so!  The point is that God wants us to care about and pursue what is most important...Him!  It's not easy and many things distract us (wisdom, wealth, strength, raising kids, etc.).   But this relationship is essential.  Our relationship with God is our "base."  It is on this that we center our lives.  It is what most informs our parenting.  It is what sets our boundaries and our rules (by which we shape our context).  It is what makes everything else, the good and the bad, make sense.  It is what motivates and strengthens us.  And it is by this that we define and judge our success.  All of this rests on the "base" of our relationship with God.

Do you want to be a good and godly parent?  Guard your base.  I know, in the the games of childhood, guarding base was cheating.  But not in this game.  We need to protect our base with ferocity.  Love and walk with God every day and invest in that relationship above all others.  The result will be that you become a godly person whom God will use to shape and mold young lives to glorify him.

The Practical Bits:
How do we love God, walk with him daily, and invest in that relationship?

1. Believe with all your being that Jesus is the Savior who died and rose again to purchase you from your sins for God.  This kind of belief is a life-changing belief (repenting of sin and walking with Jesus for the rest of your life).  Some days are harder than others.  Some days we totally mess up.  Some days we sin.  Some days we think we have it all together.  Every day, successful or miserable,  we need to stand on the grace of God brought to us through Jesus! Preach the good news of Jesus to yourself every day and believe it!

2. Pursue God with the hunger and intensity that shows he is your greatest desire.  Read the Bible, a lot.  Talk to God, a lot.  Think about God's character and truth and glory, a lot.  Talk to others about God, a lot.  

3.  Shape your life around what you know about God and how he wants you to live.  There are tons of practical bits to the Bible that accompany the historical and inspirational and theological bits.  Don't leave out the practical parts about how to treat people, how to get rid of sin, and how to live holy a life.

4. Lean on others who are also on this journey of pursuing God through Jesus. There is strength, encouragement, insight, and wisdom to be found in the hearts and minds of God's people.  Share your heart and listen to theirs.

5. Press on!  It's called "perseverance" and it's all about going another step when you feel like giving up.  Walking with God is hard and sometimes painful.  But the reward of His presence is worth it!

I am so looking forward to growing with these awesome parents!

Sincerely,

JasonPS