I was talking recently with a friend. He has three young kids, and is in that stage where he spends a lot of time wiping noses, changing diapers, cleaning up spills, and refereeing arguments. He expressed frustration that he is not being used by God. “I feel like I am just waiting for Him to show me what He has for me. Put me in, coach!”
This struck a chord with me. When you are in the throes of parenting, it can be hard to find meaning in the mundane and thankless tasks you perform day in and day out. It is easy to idealize the “bigger and better” things that you could be doing to build God’s kingdom if you weren’t so busy wiping, well, everything.
In Matthew 25:40, Jesus says, “Whatever you did for one of the least of these, you did for me.” In loving and serving our children, we are loving and serving God. And when we are kissing boo-boos and drying tears, we are not just caring for little bodies – we are nourishing little souls. In the seemingly endless moments of correcting and disciplining, we are given a unique and powerful opportunity for discipleship. We have the opportunity to show our kids a glimpse (albeit an imperfect one) of God, the perfect Father. It doesn’t get much bigger and better than that!
Janae Thomas
Chaplaincy and Teaching Assistant
Fearless Family of Churches
