“In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us” (Romans 8:37 NIV).
No good parent ever wants to see their children hurt or in fear or distress. As a father, I don’t want bad things to happen to my children to teach them a lesson. I want to help them, protect them, and teach them wisdom so that they can avoid bad stuff and not have to go through it. A parent’s first nature is to protect their child from all harm.
God is no different. He is the ultimate Father! He loves us and wants to take care of us, protect us, and bless us. He is a good Father and doesn’t make bad things happen to us to teach us lessons.
I have six grown kids, and I want them all to be wise and know how to live by faith. I want them to know that God loves them and is for them, not against them. As they were growing up, my wife and I taught them that God wasn’t the one causing bad stuff to happen to them. When things didn’t go well, maybe their boyfriend or girlfriend broke up with them, or their dog got sick, or their car transmission started leaking, it wasn’t God making those things happen to try and teach them something.
I taught them that many problems and challenges are just a part of life. If they understand that, then when they get hit with one, they won’t flinch. I don’t want them to waver in their faith toward God, thinking that He’s the one causing bad stuff to happen. I want them to know God is good all the time! Those challenges are just opportunities for them to walk by faith and prove that God is with them, and there is no problem or challenge that can defeat them!
Take Away
How many of you know that no matter how hard you may try to protect your kids, things happen in life that are beyond your control? Life’s challenges come to all of us; there are no age restrictions. So, it’s really important that we teach our children from an early age how to walk in God’s wisdom and how to respond in faith when difficult situations come up so that they can be overcomers in this life!
