When Discipling Our Children Gets Difficult

photo by pedrosimoes

Does it ever seem like for every one step forward the world pushes your child two steps back? It can be an uphill battle, sometimes. Actually, if your focus is on establishing a Christ-centered home and you intentionally disciple your child, it’s an uphill battle all the time.

Maybe we need a reminder to be more bold, more purposeful, more open to the Spirit’s pushing us in the right direction. I found this prayer in a newsletter from a missionary that I think speaks to that reminder. I hope it emboldens you as it did me, when I find myself thinking that I’ve already done enough, or I’ve become complacent or too well pleased with my efforts in discipling my children.

Disturb us Lord, when we are too well pleased with ourselves,
When our dreams have come true because we dreamed too little, when we arrived safely because we sailed too close to shore.

Disturb us, Lord, when with the abundance of things we possess
We’ve lost our thirst for the waters of life;
Having fallen in love with life, we’ve ceased to dream of eternity,
And in our efforts to build a new earth,
We’ve allowed our vision of the new Heaven to dim.

Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly, to venture on wilder seas,
Where storms will show Your mastery;
Where losing sight of land, we shall find the stars.

We ask You to push back the horizons of our hopes;
And push back the future in strength, courage, hope and love.
This we ask in the name of our Captain, Who is Jesus Christ.

(Found in a ship’s log on the eve of one of Sir Francis Drake’s voyages)

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