“My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you, how I wish I could be with you now and change my tone because I am perplexed about you!”
— Galatians 4:19-20 (NIV)
Paul may have been talking to the Galatians, but that sure sounds like what we feel as parents! We agonize over our children’s relationships with God, their character, and their life choices. Their decisions certainly perplex us at every age.
And parents, that’s okay. In fact, it’s good. God placed you on this earth in a special role—to be in the "pains of childbirth" over the spiritual health of your children. He wants you to be focused and concerned about their physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being.
But if we continue reading in Galatians 4, we see that even though Paul is in pain, he says in verse 28, “Now you, brothers and sisters, like Isaac, are children of promise.”
Wow! Even though Paul is deeply concerned about their direction in life, he affirms who they are instead of telling them who they are not.
Both aspects are important. As parents, we experience the ongoing "pains of childbirth" long after our children are born. But as we recognize the pain, we must also see that the solution lies in calling out hope and promise for our children’s lives.
