What’s keeping you from being the parent you want to be?
Most likely it’s a combination of things.
A few weeks ago, the powerball lottery was over 1 billion dollars. Naturally, I bought several tickets. Later that week, I was joking with my boss (who is a pastor), that I caught myself dreaming about all the ways the powerball would change my life and making plans of how I would distribute the money on my way to work that morning.
He said, “Did you notice all the theological language you used?”
My debt would be paid. I would find joy and contentment. I would be transformed to a better version of myself. I would practice great generosity. My fears would be relived and I would be secure.
PAST AND FUTURE KEEPING YOU FROM THE PRESENT
Have you ever noticed Jesus doesn’t spend much time focusing on the past or even the future. Jesus is constantly speaking of the reality of the here and now.
Similar to my thinking around the powerball, how many of us allow our future hopes to derail us from being the person (or parent) God is calling us to be right now – in the present.
Maybe you’ve said something like this…
- Once I get that raise, then I will work less and be the father and husband I want to be.
- Right now I’m just so busy and stressed. Soon I will be the parent I want to be, until then – I just need to survive.
Just as much as we let the future keep us from being the parent we want to be in the present, we allow the past to do the same…
- I’m this way because my mother was this way. This is my legacy and I’ll never be able to shake it.
- I’ve already screwed up so much, I’m disqualified from truly living and being a great parent.
YOU ALREADY HAVE WHAT YOU NEED
Here’s the truth – In Jesus you have everything you need to be the parent(person) you desire to be. You need not wait until the future. You do not have to let the past derail you. Today is the day, you can be the parent you desire to be.
Everything I hoped I would find in winning the powerball is what I already have in Jesus.
Bob Goff
Don’t focus on what you don’t have or what has been the case in the past.
Simply begin.
Today, begin being the parent you want to be. And then…repeat.
