The Gift Of Parenthood
Parenting is intended to grow us spiritually. A remarkable gift to anyone who wants to grow closer to God.
This is a fundamental principle of the Tribal Family approach. And it is the principle I led with last weekend with the group of parents I was blessed to be with.
From that principle we made the following conclusion:
When parenting presents challenges our first reaction shouldn’t be: “How can I fix the immaturity in this child?”
Instead, our first reaction ought to be:
What growth is God calling me into?
And secondly:
How can I be as Christ to my child right now?
Another principle we examined is that of “spiritual muscle memory”.
Like athletes practicing the movements of their sport, we commit to practice spiritual movements individually and with our families.
Using the word “practice” suggests it is not perfection we are expecting from our spiritual movements.
“Practice” also suggests we do it even when we aren’t motivated. When it seems dull, difficult, or inconvenient. In fact, difficulty in any practice often precedes the greatest progress.
The principle of “muscle memory” explains how an athlete instinctively reacts in a split second with adept movement when it really matters – because they have practiced those movements, regularly, when the stakes were not as high.
Repetition of spiritual practice builds “spiritual muscle memory” – spiritual muscle which instinctively moves us into worship, prayer, or relational health when we face a challenge.
We intend these Tribal Notes to be a part of that practice – weekly calling us back to our place as priestly leaders for our tribes.
Having a rhythm of remembering our place in the story helps us in those challenging moments. Helps us instinctually respond with: What growth is God calling me into? And how can I be as Christ to my child right now?