A Mother's Failures (Pt 3)

‘And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.’ Romans 5:3-5

I wanted to know what tribulation and perseverance had to do with my son’s situation, so the Spirit of the Lord directed my attention to the last part of the scripture, ‘Now hope does not disappoint.’ God was letting me know that I first had to hope! Hope in Greek means ‘to anticipate with pleasure, expectation, or confidence.’ Therefore, while my son was being pressured into choosing between four wrong choices - trap, bang, pimp, or hustle - I had to anticipate with pleasure, be confident, and expect that God would work that thang out. But I knew that I couldn’t do it on my own because I was going through my own set of circumstances.

You see when I was a baby Christian, I tried to be super spiritual. As a result, I opened myself up to a lot of things, that for time sake, I now know were spiritual, but they weren’t of God. My son had to watch as I went from being jazzy and making $50k a year to becoming a homeless, pony-tail-wearing bus rider. Therefore, his perception of God and what God could do meant absolutely nothing to him; simply because of my spiritual failures. Mothers, perhaps you too have some spiritual failures that may have inadvertently caused your sons to want nothing to do with God. But know that God will forgive you and that He will protect your sons – even through your messes. This same hope we are learning about in these issues works not only for our sons, but for ourselves. Pray this with me;

Heavenly Father, please forgive me for trying to be super spiritual. Please forgive me when I yielded my spirit to ungodly forces and caused havoc in my spirit and in the life of my children. Lord I ask You to help me be the Christian You created me to be and as You do, I ask that You would protect my children and help them to love You the way You intended. In Jesus’ name. Copyright © 2013 Real Issues Ministries®. All rights reserved.