The Call to Persevere
Alright parents, raise your hand if you are tired. If you could see me right now, you would see my hand in the air too–probably propped up, because well, I’m tired. But it’s deeper than just physical fatigue…
This season of COVID-19, and social distancing, and working while being my kids’ cruise director has made me weary. The scary news headlines and heartbreaking stories of injustice have made me feel anxious and worried and sad. I’m trying to be brave and strong, but the weight of it all feels like too much. And then the guilt of feeling weary, when I know others have far more to complain about, sits heavy too. Can anyone relate?
Here’s the thing, though. Satan wants me to feel this way, because when I'm worn, my perspective is fogged and my focus stays on the negative and the hard. But there’s a promise in the book of Galatians that brings life to my weary bones.
“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” Galatians 6:9
This is a call to persevere. This verse alone tells us that God knows we are going to get worn down. It reminds me that good and holy things often require perseverance. Perseverance takes effort and focus towards a particular end goal. But the good news is that it’s not just my effort, or yours, because that is not enough. We can lean into Christ's strength because his power is made perfect in our weakness. When I focus on Christ as the ultimate end goal–to reflect him, to seek him, to bring about his Kingdom on this earth–I have the motivation I need to follow through.
“We can lean into Christ’s strength because his power is made perfect in our weakness.”
I think we can all agree that parenting takes perseverance. When that temper tantrum comes or the complaining won’t subside, it’s easy to want to throw in the towel. But what’s easy is hardly ever what’s best. In moments like those, when I am tempted to give in to the frustration I am feeling, I usually find that it's less about their behavior and more about mine. Even when my to-do list is long, I know that if I don't prioritize time in scripture and prayer, something else will take that place, and my heart is worse off for it. I need to cling to God’s Word, and my three-year-old daughter needs to see me doing so. When I hear her ask for Bible stories at breakfast and listen to her beautiful prayers through the day, my heart turns to a puddle. These heart habits are taking root because she is seeing them lived out, albeit imperfectly. I can rest in the fact that the same work God is doing in me each day, he is doing in her.
We have a little note card taped to our kitchen cabinet that says ‘Raising our girls is Kingdom work.’ Everyday it reminds me to keep this mindset. It reminds me to show them grace. To show them the Gospel lived out. To push through my own discomfort to have hard conversations. To speak into that character trait for the millionth time. To teach them that the value of every person comes from being an image bearer of God. To know that it’s not my job to change their hearts, but to trust that God can. Do those things always happen? No, not always. But more days than not, having that note card reminds me of the end goal. It reminds me that parenting is good and holy work, and what a joy it will be to see the harvest that comes when we do not give up.
Laura Hunt is the Nursery and Preschool Coordinator at our Herndon Campus. You can contact her at lhunt@summitconnect.org.