Parents – Stewards of Purpose
When I discovered my God-given purpose, I had already been a Christian for ten years. It had very little to do with software development, my profession for over 20 years. He was calling me to write. I discovered that God always had a specific, unique plan for me.
I realized that He also had a specific unique plan for each of my children and as a parent it was my responsibility to steward that purpose. Part of my job as a parent was to guide my children into their God-given destinies; to do my part to ensure that they become all He created them to be.
But what does that involve? How can we be good stewards of our children’s purpose? Here are four ways we can do so.
Ask God About His Plans for Them
“You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.” – Psalm 139:16
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. – Jeremiah 29:11
As mentioned, God has a specific unique plan for each of your children. Plans to prosper them; plans for their future. What’s more, He wrote all those plans in His book when He created them (Psalm 139:16). He wrote everything He created them to do in His book in heaven. To be good stewards of their destiny, we as parents need to know what’s written in that book. We can ask Him to show us what He wrote, then pray that His will for them be done, here on earth as it is already written in heaven.
As our children grow, it’s important that we let them know they were born to live a meaningful life. Their purpose is important to God and important to others. God has given them responsibility for a small piece of His great big plan and wants to work with them to help them achieve it.
There are people out there in the world waiting for them to become who He created them to be.
Nurture and help them grow their relationship with God, the Father.
‘For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. ‘ Psalm 139:13
We cannot do what we were created to do unless we know who we were created to be. We have to operate in our true identity; the one given to us by God, the Father, when He formed and fashioned us and placed us in our mother’s womb. To do this, we have to have an intimate relationship not just with Jesus our Savior but also with God the Father.
Our children’s relationship with God the Father is equally important as their relationship with Jesus. When they understand that God’s love for them does not change based on what they do (or do not do), it fosters a relationship with Him built out of love rather than fear.
Many times fear will paralyse us because we are afraid of disappointing God. Living from His unconditional love, gives us the courage to pursue our purpose without fear of messing up. Be assured, God has already factored in our failures into His plans.
When our children have a secure relationship with God in the role of their Father, they learn to serve Him, not from fear of punishment but because they do not want to break His heart. When they become adults, they will run to Him when they mess up, instead of running away from Him.
Encourage your children to see God as a father who protects and provides for them and most importantly, one who loves them unconditionally.
Steward Their Natural Abilities and Talents
The natural abilities and talents God gave to us are directly related to our purpose. They are tools that God has given us to help us succeed at our God-given purpose. The hobbies we like and career choices we make are often centered around theses abilities and reflect the desires that God placed in our hearts.
It’s our job as parents, to help our children determine which of these abilities and talents they want to develop into something more. We can teach them to weigh the intent of their desires by examining their “why” to see if they align with God’s heart. Are their desires based on fear or pride or selfishness? Or do they align with God’s desires?
We also have to be careful not to impose our own expectations on them, especially if they choose a non-traditional path; one that might not allow them to spend time in traditional ministry. The truth is, living our God-given purpose IS our ultimate ministry to God. And that can happen within or outside of the traditional church setting. Your child might touch the lives in a secular environment in a way that a pastor never can.
Let’s encourage our children to use their natural abilities, skills and talents to follow the desires that God has given them, wherever they may lead.
Lead By Example
When the company that I worked for closed its local office, I had a choice. Look for another full-time job in software development or trust God to lead me in a new direction – writing. With twenty years’ experience, it wouldn’t be that hard to find a new job (I’ve seen plenty since then) but I knew I had to follow His plan.
Trusting God to chart my path when there is an “easier” option shows my children that fulfilling my God-given purpose is important to me. I hope they will follow my example to trust Him enough to choose His path, even though there may be easier, more comfortable options.
Our children learn more from what we do than what we say. The best way to steward their purpose is to lead by example. Let them see us pursuing our own God-given purpose.
Are you pursuing your God-given purpose? If you need some inspiration, join me on my blog, asboldasthelion.com.
Author Bio
Deborah Ruck lives in Barbados with her 84-year-old father (who still drives) and her two young adult children. After her mom passed in 2012, she took on the responsibility of caring for her elderly dad, her two adolescent children, an often demanding job as a software developer and being active in church ministry. By 2015 she had crashed and burned. Discenchanted with life as a whole she cried out to God for “something more”. That cry was the beginning of a journey that led her to the heart of God the Father where she found her true identity and purpose. Now she blogs at AsBoldasTHELion.com where she helps lead women to the heart of God the Father where they can find the courage to pursue their God-given purpose.
