Help Your Child See His Worth as God Does
“Practice makes perfect.”
It’s a line many of us have heard our entire lives, but no more so than we’ve heard in our childhood—from our parents, teachers, and other mentors in our lives. We encourage our youth to strive for perfection, but is it really obtainable?
This dilemma can be even more present in our Military families. In a world where a high standard of excellence is demanded, is it possible that this drive of perfectionism can be spilling over into the parenting of our Military kids?
Striving to do our best is important, but God alone is able to bring things to perfection—because He is faithful to complete the good works in our lives. Let’s look at seven verses we can use as parents to help our children see their true worth as the Lord does.
God Is the Only One Who Can Perform Perfectly
“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them… And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good.”
Genesis 1:27, 31
God created us in His own image and He saw that it was good. That means God created each of us according to His own design as He saw fit—made perfectly in His eyes. That’s something our children can cling to when they are feeling bad about themselves or their abilities.
God Shoulders the Responsibility to Teach Our Children and Promises They Will Have Great Peace
“All your children shall be taught by the Lord, and great shall be the peace of your children.”
Isaiah 54:13
When we follow God’s counsel and obey His statutes, we are promised peace. Even as adults, we are always God’s children and need to remember that peace is bestowed on those who submit to the Lord’s guidance.
God Will Complete the Good Work He Started in Us as We Abide in Jesus
“And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”
Philippians 1:6
When our children feel they have fallen short of “the mark”, we can assure them with this verse that God is faithful to see us through. He finishes what He starts and He knows how to accomplish it.
Christ Is the Perfecter of Our Faith and Is Actively Working In Us
“…looking to Jesus, the founder, and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Hebrews 12:2
Jesus Christ was willing to give it all on the cross to bring us to Himself. We grow in Him as He is in charge of our spiritual growth as the head of the church. We, as His children, bring Him joy – He loved us so much that He gave his life for us.
“When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways.”
1 Corinthians 13:11
As we grow in our faith, God molds us into men and women that He desires us to be—and when we grow up, He will still never leave nor forsake us.
God Looks at Our Hearts, Not at Our Performance Records
“But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.’”
1 Samuel 16:7
Gently remind children that while God designed each of us uniquely, the world is quick to praise or judge our looks and outward appearance. However, God is far more interested in what’s beneath the surface, our heart attitude, and how we respond to Him.
We Can Work on What We’re Responsible for and Leave the Results to God
“Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 3:12-14
God isn’t looking for perfection, but He is calling us to lean in to what He has for us today – the work right in front of us. We don’t have to worry about doing it perfectly because God knows us, and is faithful to help us through each step. Let’s remind our kids (and ourselves) that perfection isn’t the goal, but instead it’s knowing Jesus better.
Replace Perfectionism with Trust and Obedience
Wherever we are in our lives, it’s important to rest in the place that God has us and our children at this moment. Celebrate the accomplishments and the milestones of the journey, but don’t sweat the small stuff. As Paul says, we need to press forward and trust that God will complete His work in us.
“The Christian’s motto should not be ‘let go and let God’ but ‘trust God and get going’.”
– J.I. Packer, theologian
