When Our Children Lose Their Way

 

“Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.”

 A concerned mother came to me and asked me to pray for her son. He has lost his way, she said, and she desperately wants him to give his life to Christ. For a loving mother, there is nothing that moves her so deeply as the concern she has for the safety and well-being of her children. When a son or daughter is making poor decisions and getting themselves in all manner of trouble, it can feel as though the parent is right there in the murk and mire of it all with them. It’s just gut wrenching; particularly when addictions and substance abuse are involved. The important thing to remember is that God is in control, even when it seems that our children are spiraling out of control.

We can never forget that this earth experience is good grooming ground for our faith. We are here to go higher and higher as we walk in the spirit. Walking in the spirit requires that we walk by faith. Hebrews 11:1(KJV) tells us, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Faith is the proof that we have what we’ve asked God for even before it exists in the natural (feeling) realm.

As parents, we understand this, but in the back of our minds we think, “Well, this isn’t like believing and trusting God for a new car or a house. Those are THINGS. It’s a lot different when it comes to a person that you love. As a parent, I know the right way my child should go, and I want them to walk the path of God’s love, but how can I believe God for them to change when my child will not even listen to me?” We know that nothing is too difficult for God, and that He has every resource available at His disposal. With Him all things are possible, but some of us still feel so hopeless about a son or daughter who has lost their way.

We are right in the sense that God will not overstep another person’s free-will choice. He will not come into our son’s or daughter’s soul and start moving all the bad stuff and replacing it with all of His goodies. If He did this, the world would be a much better place, but we’d be more like robots than sons and daughters. This isn’t what God wanted. His plan was to have a family, and in a family love reigns supreme. Love never shoves or pushes. Love guides, and allows liberty and freedom.

So how do we approach God’s throne when it comes to children who will not listen and refuse to turn to Him? How do we help them believe and live right?

If we want to know anything about God and Godliness, we cannot go to any other source besides His Word. God’s Word is truth. Hebrews 4:12(KJV) says, “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” 2Timothy 3:16(KJV) tells us, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:” So the Word of God will never steer us wrong, and it will always, always give us exactly what we need.

If we want to know how to approach God about not just our loved ones, but all the difficult and challenging situations of life, Hebrews 11:6(KJV) gives us a very important piece of information about the type of mind-and-heart-set that we should have. It says, “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”

Some people approach God rather hesitantly. Some approach Him with fear and trepidation, and others do not approach Him at all. The Christian is to approach God with the expectancy of results, as Hebrew 11:6(KJV) so brilliantly points out. This is the very first important piece of information to have about our attitude when it comes to seeking God. He expects us to come to Him, and He also wants us to have knowledge about what pleases Him and what does not please Him. God wants us to know categorically that without faith, it is IMPOSSIBLE to please Him.

Hebrews 11:6 is not talking about religion. There are many people who have been in church and fellowships all of their lives and they still do not know how to masterfully walk by faith. The word “faith” in Hebrews 11:6 is the same word as “believing”. It’s an action word that denotes the mental and emotional energies of being fully convinced and persuaded in a belief. It means to be so convinced of something that you know in your heart that it is absolutely and unequivocally impossible for this thing NOT to come to past. It WILL happen and you know it so resolutely that everything about your speech, thoughts, and attitude convey the fulfillment of the thing happening. You speak and think of it as if it has already happened. Every time that you pray about it, you thank God for it.

You thank God for it because you know it has transpired in the supernatural, and you’re just waiting for it to manifest in the natural realm. Philippians 4:6 (KJV) says, “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” It’s a privilege to trust God this way—to let your heart be light and filled with thanks because you just know that God cannot—will not disappoint you. It’s our sonship right as God’s sons and daughters to believe on behalf of others when they are not in a position to believe rightly for themselves.

We can do that you know. No matter what is going on in their situations, no matter the conditions they are enduring, we can believe God, surrender them into His care, and know with all our strength and being that God’s got them. This is what we have to do as parents. This is not an arduous task. It’s not burdensome. We simply have to deliver our loved ones over into the extremely capable, unfailing hands of Heavenly Father. He knows what to do, how to do it, when to do it, and where to do it.

As parents, we cannot consume all of our time and energies worrying about our children, because we rob God of what He deserves when we do this. Our lives are supposed to be a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto Him, because this is the least we can do for all that He has done for us. A living sacrifice is one that pleases Him. It’s a heart and mind that is saturated in faith.

Faith dictates that you busy yourself with focusing on God and His Word. When it comes to our heartaches, we do not need to turn to the world and what it has to offer. We need to be at the feet of Jesus continually, because he’s our Rescuer. He’s our hope—our everything, and he will never let us down. So when our children lose their way, yes, it can be challenging; but we have to remember that they belong to God. They are not ours. They were placed under our care, but they belong to Him and He knows exactly what they need. He’ll take care of them. ■

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture taken from The Message. Copyright ©1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.