What My Children Teach Me About God
by Landry Franks
When the order came to stay home in early March, Kayla and I had some knee-jerk reactions to what this might mean for our family. We have two young children, and we both work full time. We were trying to imagine a life without parks, the zoo and Chick-Fil-A! Shortly after, we decided to keep our children home from daily childcare, which meant that we were going to be working and living with our children 24/7 for the foreseeable future.
Don’t get me wrong—I love my son and daughter (Asher, three and Dru, two), and I cherish the time I have with them, but thinking about spending every moment with them produced anxiety. That being said, Kayla and I were overwhelmed by God’s grace. We have loved this very special time with our children even when they are trying to get me to stop working on my Midweek sermon so they can go on a bike ride. This time has caused me to reflect less and less about the stress of my children and more and more on how God uses children to refine us as Christians.
I want to share a few things that my children teach me and remind me about who God is, and how great and worthy he is of praise. Whether or not you have children, I hope this short list helps you think about how God uses the most unlikely things in this world for his glory.
1. God makes simple the wise.
Our kids love to read books at night, and one of their favorites is The Jesus Story Book Bible which I highly recommend! Sometimes over dinner we will review a story from the Bible that we just read. Recently though, I have been struck by how our kids are starting to connect the pieces of the Gospel. They are young and certainly don’t understand the deep well that is the Gospel, but they are beginning to see that God is who we turn to in trouble, that he can protect us, that he did protect us and that he took our place on the cross. When I see them connecting these dots, I am reminded of the simple things in our faith. That God is still protecting me all these long years, that he has sealed me by the Holy Spirit of life with him and that he has forgiven my sins by his death. It is the simple things brought on by my kids that help me dive into the deep end of the beauty of God’s grace.
2. God loves everybody, and so should we.
In April, our neighbor’s husband died of cancer. He was the first person that our children knew and could remember who had passed. Every day when we play outside, I talk to his wife. She is a sweet lady and like a third grandmother to our children. Recently she has been grieved by her loss, and Asher has noticed it. He asked me what was wrong with her, and I reminded him of her loss. He looked at me and said we needed to pray for her right then that she could be happy like us. I was struck by the reality that Asher and Dru love our neighbor because they are loved by God. I was challenged to better care for my neighbor, to not avoid the passing of her husband but to care for her like Asher does, like God does. We now sit in his room and frequently pray for her.
3. God created us for joy.
During the Covid-19 crisis, Kayla and I have seen the joy of our children becoming not only siblings or even friends, but also best friends with each other. They are only 17 months apart, but until recently they have been pretty stand-offish toward each other. It has been cool to see them begin to play, dance and run around together. What I love about their interaction is that they find joy in the smallest things. Looking at their faces while they play together has not only made me smile more, but it has also made me look at my own heart. I can quickly find something in which to be negative or defensive, but the joy my children radiate every day simply by being alive makes me a kinder husband and father. I want to be a Christian man who radiates the joy of God.
4. God’s Grace is sufficient in our weakness.
Kayla and I are so far from being perfect parents. We often fail right in front of our kids. They see our shame and our insufficiencies as parents. But they still love us and hug us before bed. They forgive us, and we forgive them. We are constantly reminded that just as easily as our children forgive us, God extends so much more grace. Our children are amazing, but they will never satisfy the grace that only God can provide in Christ! Praise God that he gives believers these reminders of his grace like the forgiveness of a child, so that in our imperfections, guilt and sin, we can see the glory of God in the Gospel and know that his grace is sufficient, and his power is made perfect in our weakness.
Author Bio
Landry Franks is the Young Adult Pastor at Council Road. He has a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from the University of Central Oklahoma and a Master in Divinity from Southern Seminary. He has two kids Asher, three, and Dru, two, and a beautiful wife, Kayla, of nearly eight years. He enjoys being outside, reading and hanging with his family.