May the Favor of God be on Parents, Too

My wife and I worry every day about the raising of our children. Are we providing them with enough enrichment? Do we provide them with too much enrichment? Can they ever behave as we expect them? Can we ever let them just be kids? Are we pushing them too hard? Are we not pushing them hard enough? It is a never ending weight because we love them and want them to have a happy childhood. Every parent struggles with these thoughts and seeks to find the best life for their child.

Mary and Joseph must have had the same experience with Jesus. What is lost in the movement from birth to mission are the details about what that upbringing for Jesus was like but I can only imagine that his parents felt exactly the same pressures that I feel, albeit from a first century world view. And I take comfort in Luke’s appraisal in the Gospel today that “the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom and the favor of God was upon him.” Because to achieve that meant that his parents had some measure of success in the manner that they raised him.

I believe that the favor of God was on Mary and Joseph in their parenting of the youth and that God provided them with the aid and comfort to deal with all of those worries as well. My prayer this Monday is that God will provide me and my wife with the guidance and strength that will provide us with the ability to assist our children’s growth.

Author: Mark Batik, Director of Educational Technology