Today’s post is a guest post by Angela. You can look forward to seeing a post from her once a month.
Our church is doing a bible reading plan and one day we were reading Luke 2. The Christmas story. I have read this passage countless times- almost exclusively in December. But this time a rather odd passage stuck out to me. Verses 21-24 say, “Eight days later, when the baby was circumcised, he was named Jesus, the name given him by the angel even before he was conceived. Then it was time for their purification offering, as required by the law of Moses after the birth of a child; so his parents took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord. The law of the Lord says, “If a woman’s first child is a boy, he must be dedicated to the Lord.” So they offered the sacrifice required in the law of the Lord— either a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.”
There are 4 verses in Luke 2 that reference Jesus’ baby dedication. That’s it. Verses I’ve basically skimmed over and never really think about when I picture the birth of Christ.
Someone on the discussion part of the Bible reading app mentioned how she couldn’t have remained as calm (as Mary) about her child being chosen by God. Then it hit me. My children ARE chosen by God. Now clearly they aren’t chosen in the way Jesus was but we are all God’s children. My tiny humans have been chosen by God for big things. They have a plan and a purpose. And they belong to HIM. I thought back to their baby dedications. We didn’t offer up a pair of turtledoves or anything but we stood in front of our church and prayed over them- agreeing together to guide them as they grow and dedicating them to God. It’s what we do in the church. Babies are born so we hold a baby dedication.
While I was caught my nostalgia for the snuggly newborn days, it dawned on me what God is really asking of me as a parent. In perhaps the biggest “aha moment” of parenthood so far I realized THEY ARE NOT MINE.
No we didn’t have a mix-up at the hospital. They aren’t mine. They are God’s children. Just like I am his child. He has given them to Nick and I to raise but he didn’t drop them off like an abandoned baby at a firehouse and peace out. God wants to be the lord of their little lives but that requires us to let go.
I need to acknowledge that my children are GOD’S children and relinquish that control. I need to allow God to rule their lives by allowing him to fully rule my own life- including my parenting. Which is scary but the biggest, most fundamental way we can love our kids.
Recently Nick and I were having a conversation about parenting with our pastors. They had a lot of really great advice but the biggest thing was that we need to teach our children that ultimately God is the authority in their life, and that he has also given us authority over them. It made me think back to reading this passage and how simple is really is. I should work be submitting every aspect of my life (including my children) to God. My job as a parent is not to control my children. My job is to hand over that control to God. Allowing God to be the Lord of my life not only sets the example for them but also enables me to love and parent them better. It’s not about me or even about them. It’s about handing their little lives over and allowing God to direct me in the way I raise them. It’s about teaching them to let God be the Lord of their lives from the beginning so they can fulfill his purpose every step of the way.