Daily Devotional
Are You Trying to be Perfect?
“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you.”
Exodus 20:12
May 5, 2023
Ponder This
Don’t get the idea that you must be a perfect parent. You’re not a perfect parent, and your children are not perfect children.
God gave your children each a will. I don’t have goals for my children; I have desires for my children. Do you know who I have goals for? For myself. Why? Because I can’t control my children; I can control me, by God’s grace. So, my desire is that I will have godly children; my goal is I will be a godly dad. Do you understand the difference? With God helping me, I will be a godly dad.
I want to relieve you from the burden of perfectionism—from thinking if your child fails, it’s because you weren’t perfect. If their success depends upon your perfection, they won’t ever succeed; they will fail because no one is perfect.
- Have you ever felt overwhelmed by the desire to be a perfect parent or perfect person?
- How does Jesus’s work on our behalf relieve the pressure for us to be perfect?
Practice This
Encourage some parents you know in a tangible way, whether by a word of encouragement or a thoughtful gift.
FOR YOUR GIFT TO THE MINISTRY
Front Porch Moments by Gayle Foster
WITH KEY INSIGHTS FROM HER FATHER, ADRIAN ROGERS
I try to unplug each morning with Jesus with just my rocking chair, my Bible, and a pen.
Having a secret place is very important because I know that Jesus is always there waiting for me. I know where I can find Him! His presence is everywhere, but there are places where it is so thick you can cut it with a knife. You may not even have a front porch, but there is a secret place for you as well. God’s invitations are for anyone who will respond. There is no more important request than the one found in Psalm 27:8: “My heart has heard You say, ‘Come and talk with Me.’ And my heart responds, ‘Lord, I am coming.’”
