I’m not a parenting expert. No pastor or parent is. We are all still learning. But I am passionate about helping moms and dads figure out some of the difficult and glorious truths about parenting. Let’s just get this out in the open… parenting is difficult, but it is also glorious. Psalm 127:3-5 gives us a glimpse of the glory.

Children are a heritage from the Lord,
    offspring a reward from him.
Like arrows in the hands of a warrior
    are children born in one’s youth.
Blessed is the man
    whose quiver is full of them.
They will not be put to shame
    when they contend with their opponents in court.

I want to focus in on one phrase from this passage. The psalmist writes that children are “from the Lord.” The Bible’s view of kids isn’t that they are like aliens invading your home. They are gifts from beyond us.

In 2004, my wife Cheryl and I went to our first ultrasound, and we found out we were having twins! Back then, the first ultrasound was at twenty weeks’ gestation. Our twins were born at twenty-five and a half weeks. Cheryl and I had just enough time to wrap our heads around the idea of twins and then they were here. We were both freaked out by the enormity of what being a parent meant. We saw it right away. Parenting is beyond us. We desperately need God’s help, and that means that we must be growing as his disciples daily.

One of the glories of parenting is that when we first start out, we have no idea what we are doing. When we admit this, we can look to God and others for help and encouragement—even with something personal like raising our kids. As we let others in, we get to see the gloriousness of what God is doing in them and through them. He’ll show his glory in our desperation and dependence.

Over the next several weeks, I’m going to be posting a series on the glory and responsibilities of parenting. Stay tuned and learn with me.