Harder Than Ever?

Is parenting harder today than it ever has been? Well, give me a minute before I answer that question...

Recently I have heard these facts and stories:

• a family in the area has chosen not to name their newborn until the child grows old enough to choose it's gender identity
• thirty states in America have made spanking illegal
• on average in America, 50% of first marriages, 67% of second marriages and 74% of third marriages end in divorce
• 40% of all births are to unwed mothers
• 2,800 teenage girls become pregnant every 24 hours
• 15,000 teenagers use drugs for the first time every 24 hours
• 72% of moms with children over one year old work outside of the home
• Divorce is more disrupting to children than death

I guess I could go on, but you get the point. The American family is in crisis. Marriages are falling apart, sex and drugs have seeped into families through their teens, and broken and blended families are the status du jour for most children.

So, is parenting harder than ever? Or are we just parenting more poorly than ever?

Well, I think most would agree that sin is abounding. We live in an incredibly selfish society, not just outside of the church but inside as well. And truth be known, the demise of marriage can be almost single-handedly given credit for the failure of parenting, but I have to admit - lately I have seen great parenting crises in stable families - no divorce, Christian households, no step-anythings - but still major parenting issues.

So, what in the world is going on?

My nephew Charlie once told me that common sense is very rare - as a matter of fact, he calls it "uncommon sense" because so few people have it. There's a lot of truth in that statement. I don't know if parenting is more difficult today or if parent's are simply caving to the world's lies to disregard the instruction of the Word of God or if it's because parents just don't have that "uncommon sense" anymore.

But between the Disney mentality of "parents are stupid, kids are always right - so don't listen to your parents" that is promoted in every children's show on t.v., to the physical display of anger seen in children slapping and hitting their parents in the foyer of church, to the absolute exhaustion of the moms I know, to the cutting, gender confusion, depression and rebellion in the local high schoolers and the increase of sexual activity outside of marriage in teens and young adults, I am completely at a loss...

...but for Jesus.

Parents, there is hope. His name is Jesus.

Kids, your life doesn't have to be chaos. Come rest in Jesus.

Mom, Jesus knows how difficult it is to manage that unruly child. Don't give up. Do it His way.

Dad, Jesus wants you to be the head of your house. He wants you to model sacrificial love and fatherly discipline. He wants you to be like Him.

This weekend, we are hosting a parenting conference at church. We have over thirty families signed up to hear five hours worth of truth from the Word of God. Please pray with me for these parents. This weekend could be life-changing for them and their children, if they choose to submit to His Word.

But coming is the first step, and so many of them are coming.

Praise the Lord and may Jesus Christ be glorified this weekend!