The counseling pastor at our church was addressing our adult group a while back. This widely respected man of God shared openly about the struggles of his children as they grew up, struggles that included immorality, substance abuse and financial failure. What was most striking to me as he shared was how much better he was than me as a parent, how much harder he seemed to have worked, and yet how much “better” my children turned out.
He made the point that good parents can have bad kids and vice-versa.
He was right. There are no guarantees when it comes to our children. I was raised by an unloving alcoholic mother and a violent alcoholic step-father, and thus far I seem to be doing okay.
This is a reminder of how we need to do the best we can as parents and prayerfully entrust our children to God, who by His grace protects and guides those who will listen. It is also a reminder that responsibility for failure lies with the individual, not the parent.