The Right Kind of Partnership You Need In Parenting

It’s officially my first blog post and I’m so excited! There’ll be a party sometime soon with lots of goat meat and Zobo (LOL). But first, let’s dive into what I’ll be sharing with you today.

One of the positive highlights of this generation is that we have started to pay more attention to parenting. There’s a lot of emphasis on intentional parenting. Women, in particular, have started to acquire lots of knowledge along this line through courses, books, media, etc. We have started to worry about how parenting supports patriarchy, encourages abusers to remain silent, creates more hurdles for the girl child, and so much more. Amazing, right?

When I had my first child, well-meaning friends were quick to offer lots of helpful tips on parenting ranging from new-born care to baby shopping sites. I got a very lengthy list of suggestions, which is not unusual for most first-time parents. However, I wonder if most parents assume the same intentionality in raising these children for the Kingdom of God. In the long list of do’s and don’ts, is there room for the Holy Spirit to dictate the decisions we take regarding our child(ren)?

This journey of intentional parenting needs to begin from a point of submission to God on how we raise our children, since we know we are mere custodians for God who is the true owner of these children. It is no longer enough to profess our submission to God’s will regarding our children, we must begin to walk the talk. No matter the age of your child(ren), you can begin today to ask God exactly ‘how’ He wants you to raise them for His purposes. We need to get to the point where we completely surrender our parenting and child(ren) to the leading of the Holy Spirit. 

Did you consult God before you enrolled them in that school? If you are discerning, you will know the teachers that are not fit to instruct your children. You will also understand that the choice of schools for your children is beyond state/international ratings, social pedestals, and such other factors that often top our lists. What sort of extracurricular activities did you enroll your children in, and under whose instruction?

“Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up.” (Ephesians 4:11-12 NIV).

Every child is born with a unique gifting and assignment. Some of us have enrolled children, who should be minstrels (for the Kingdom of God), in football clubs for reasons motivated by flesh. When you understand that you are raising minstrels for the Kingdom, you will begin to pay attention to the kind of music or words you expose them to.

For instance, if you have a child who sings often, turning most words and conversations into songs, are you only fascinated by him or her like most adults are? If you pay close attention, you may find that the Holy Spirit has been convicting you about this. A parent in this scenario needs to quickly re-align and pay close attention to the kinds of words used around that child as well as the type of atmosphere created in the home, which includes the kinds of music the child is exposed to. Expose that child to Spirit-filled music ministers and edifying music and you will witness a transformation of that gift for the Kingdom. This is one way to steward the giftings of God in such a child.

Satan has nothing to give, but he sure can try to manipulate the giftings of God for his own purposes. Examples of this abound. When you seek the heart of the Father, He instructs you on how to align His giftings in your children to His purposes. This is not an attempt to undermine any of the activities mentioned in this write-up and should not be so misconstrued, rather it should re-awaken in us a consciousness of the ‘Kingdom’ and the ‘Father’s Will’. We must be careful not to base decisions concerning the welfare of our children solely on emotions.

I would implore us to make a commitment today to ask God for blueprints on how to nurture every child he has blessed us with. Can we dare to trust God to guide our decision-making, knowing that the destinies of our children are shaped decision by decision? While the argument that children’s talents can be noticed easily if you pay attention is valid, not every talent is immediately obvious. Can we ask the Father to teach us what it means to be in partnership (alliance, collaboration) with Him in the matters that concern our children?  

Affirmations: ‘I’m totally committed to a parenting collaboration with the Holy Spirit. I have the ability to discern what He wants to accomplish with my child(ren) per time. I will not leave events to chance. I’m equipped to be the best parent I can be in God. Amen.

Thank you for reading this piece from my heart. Please, feel free to reach out to me if you would like to. Stay blessed.