REVIEW: 'Hopeful Parenting'

As previously mentioned, the disintegration of the family is a clear sign of the times we're living in, and it's evidence that the last days are certainly upon us.

However, my wife and I have decided that rather than throw up our hands in defeat (or put our kids in some kind of a bubble), we're going to embrace this calling that the Lord has placed upon our lives, consider it a great honor, and do the best we can to raise godly children with His help, of course.

That being said, this is part of a series of book reviews that LUF will be publishing in the coming days that stem from our thorough 'Families And Faith' post from earlier today that we hope will serve as a blessing to your family as well.

Recently, I finally finished reading 4 very different books on the subject of raising your kids in a Christian home -- the commands, desires, and unique challenges that each parent faces in trying to do so.

Some books have sat on my bookshelf for years, while others were purchased only within the past several months. Some were deadly serious and therefore were a great blessing, while others were shockingly casual and therefore lacked the impact we had hoped they would have in our lives.

At the end of the day, it was all the things that were rooted in God's Word (or perhaps those things that were explained in greater detail by the authors) that were the most encouraging pieces to take away for me and my family. I'll do my best to try and help you spot those pieces from each book.

Today's review is 'Hopeful Parenting: Encouragement For Raising Kids Who Love God' by David Jeremiah.

At this point, I will simply break down the book by sharing some of my margin notes as well as referencing some of many favorite excerpts for you.

 

CHAPTERS: 

1. A PRIVILEGE AND A CHALLENGE 

2. CHILDREN: GOD'S GREAT GIFT 

3. BUILDING ON A SOLID FOUNDATION 

4. THE BENEFITS OF A CHRISTIAN HOME 

5. RAISING COURAGEOUS DANIELS 

6. REARING FAITH-FILLED ESTHERS 

7. PRIDE AND JOY: A TWO-WAY STREET 

8. A HOME ON A HILL 

9. WHEN STRINGS TURN TO WINGS 

10. IT REALLY IS WORTH IT!

MY MARGIN NOTES: 

-- The first time I read through this I was left feeling as though I wanted more of a purely Biblical treatise on what God has to say about children and parenting. I thought it was too informal and personal since Jeremiah's accounts as a father dominated more than God's Word did. However, upon further reflection (i.e. prayerful consideration), I believe that his approach works because he was willing to be honest about his many failures as a parent as opposed to just describing the successes over the years. In that sense, he does a good job of demonstrating an authentic faith, or a life lived for the Lord. 

-- Maybe it's just me, but far too many of these Christian books that I've read recently will take a passage/verse grossly out of context and misapply it to the point they're trying to make. Perhaps that's our fallen, sinful nature shining through since I know I've been guilty of the same things from time to time here in this forum. Still, it was frustrating to be cruising through this book, agreeing and enjoying all the content, only to hit a brick wall in the form of a cherry-picked Bible verse that does not mean what he tries to make it mean! 

-- All in all, I have to come back to the fact that because David Jeremiah was willing to document his failures as a parent in plain view of the rest of the world, that, in my book, makes his book worth the read because humility and repentance is what the Christian faith and lifestyle is all about.

MY FAVORITE EXCERPTS: 

"One doesn't have to read the newspapers a great deal or watch many television sitcoms to realize that the American family faces huge challenges. The battle over the definition of marriage, the growing acceptance of alternative lifestyles, and the perception that children are an expensive burden threatens even Christian families." [Page 11] 

"We need to hear that despite frightening headlines and cultural pressures, our God sits firmly on His heavenly throne and promises to give us the strength and wisdom to build Christian households filled with godliness and laughter." [Pages 13-14] 

"Moments later I dropped to my knees and cried out, 'God, you didn't call me to this place to destroy my family in the name of building a church. There is no conflict in Your will. I'm a father first. And if You'll help me, by the grace of God, I'll make my children the priority from this day on. They will come first." [Page 23] 

"There is only one builder in the home: God. And there is only one architect for the home: God. God, who invented the home, wants to be at the head of the home. Until we put God at the center, all our attempts to make family life what we want it to be will end in frustration -- no matter how worthy our motives! Unless we let Him build our homes, we will labor and strive and knock ourselves out to get down the road, only to think, Is this it?" [Page 69] 

"Immorality is wrong. Selfishness is wrong. Cruelty is wrong. Substance abuse is wrong. God has drawn those lines very clearly. The world may try and blur the lines -- or deny that they ever existed. But in God's Word, they're as clear as they ever were. If we want the blessing of God upon our sons' lives, we had better find the courage and the authority to help them stand, even as Daniel stood, and to say, even as Daniel said, 'I will not defile myself, because God has said no.'" [Page 112] 

"I don't have a God who wakes up and has to turn on CNN to find out what's happening across the world. No, God knows all about us and our circumstances. When we realize that, we can take courage to do the right thing. God's sovereignty encourages us to do that right thing, even in difficult situations. We can look out on the landscape of our lives and realize God is in charge. Nothing ever surprises Him." [Page 139] 

"We all want victory. We all want to have our audience with the king and come out triumphant and get what we requested. But we and our daughters must learn from Esther that the more crucial the project, the more critical the preparation. It is no waste of time to prepare spiritually for the moment of the big decision, to face the difficult challenge. It is a crucial time in the accomplishment of God's will." [Page 145] 

"We can't fool our kids. At home, you and I are the real you and I. 'Do as I say, not as I do' won't cut it. What we do is so powerful that it can destroy everything we say. We had better live out what we say we believe from the Word of God, or our words will act more like poison than fertilizer in the soil of our children's. Whatever parent gives his children good instruction, and sets for them at the same time a bad example, may be considered as bringing them food in one hand, and poison in the other." [Pages 166-167] 

"Some years ago the friends of a teenage girl were badgering her because she was supposedly the only virgin in their group. Every time she'd get together for a party with her friends, they'd ask her if she had gone 'all the way' yet. This girl was a Christian and struggled with how to respond. Finally one day she gave an answer that put an end to all their pressure. 'Anytime I want I can be just like you are,' she declared. 'But you can never again be like I am.'" [Page 192] 

"The Bible reveals God's ideal pattern for personal and family living. But just as individually none of us perfectly conforms to the image of the Ideal, the Lord Jesus, neither do our families. Let me go on record here: There is no such thing as the perfect, cookie-cutter Christian family." [Page 243]

In the final analysis, I can understand why this book was a national best-seller.

Yes, I wish it was a little heavier on the study and application of the Word of God, but maybe that wasn't the goal with this book. Maybe the goal was to simply present the world with a small glimpse of what a 'Christian Family' looks like, complete with the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Consider this book a success in that regard then. I'm glad I have it in my personal library

Grace and peace to you and yours!

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