Raising Kids: The Worth of Our Weakness

For me, weekday breakfasts with my children have become an unexpected opportunity: we work through a devotional, or a prayer/spiritual book (one page at a time usually) and I benefit from it as much as they do.

My children are seldom as still and quiet as they are during this meal. I (rather comically at times) coordinate the delivery of the cereal bowls so that they all start eating at the same time and this is my moment.

Sometimes it doesn’t last long, sometimes someone spills the milk (usually me!), but sometimes the magic lingers. It’s a well-rehearsed, comforting rhythm.

On one such morning, I was reading a devotional based on the promise that Jesus makes in 2 Corinthians 12:9: "My power is made perfect in weakness".

One darling child was distracted. She was nodding along to what I was reading, but I could sense that she wasn’t present. I sometimes ask them a question about what we’ve read, so I enquired, ‘How does God launch his power into our lives?’

She gave a sweet answer, one that she knew would probably be general enough to be right; ‘Love,’ she said. She didn’t look up.

I explained, 'This Bible verse says it’s our weakness'…

At this moment, she did look up, confusion in her eyes. Her sweet innocent face pulled into a deep frown. I could see I had her attention now.

She’s not alone, of course. It’s a bewildering promise. When I really pay attention to this verse, I realise how counter-cultural and perplexing this truth feels.

When I look back and reflect on moments in my life when I got to the end of my personal resources (there have been many), I can see this truth was at work in my soul: God’s presence was most truly felt and His priorities most clearly visible.

He prepared those moments, before the creation of the world, to meet with me personally, to encourage me to:

• realise control is an illusion and let Him be the stronghold of my life

• learn what was most important to Him and let my priorities be shaped by that

• choose what to let go of and what to cherish

• hold onto the blessings and joy the gospel holds in all circumstances.

Psalm 27:7-12 has been a timely reminder that God is my helper and my teacher.

When I think I am teaching my children (often from a place of weakness), God is actually teaching me, helping me. I am sure I have learned so much more from being a parent than my children have learned from me.

So tomorrow morning, I will coordinate the cereal bowls, open our devotional and read that one page to my children. May God teach us, help us and use our weaknesses to grow His kingdom. Hopefully I won’t spill the milk!

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