christian parenting advice
Trusting Our "Intuition" as Parents
By Helen Chade Mahshi
Contributing Writer
CBN.com –
When our daughter fainted at church camp, and tearfully asked if she could come home, I felt a sickening thud in my stomach. My husband and I had not felt peace about sending her to camp, yet we buckled under the pressure of well-intentioned others.
Two days of packing and writing her name on clothes and weeks of anticipation came to an abrupt end. On the long drive home, I was frustrated with myself that we acted against our better judgment.
I knew that prayer and trusting my "intuition" usually resulted in good decisions.
It may be how our subconscious mind makes itself heard. It may also be one of the ways the Holy Spirit guides us. Our intuition may give us a first impression about something. Sometimes we know something, but don’t have anything to substantiate what we know. Because we don’t have anything to support our impression, others with logical arguments can persuade us differently as they did regarding our daughter attending camp.
It may be best not to surrender your point of view. There’s a reason why something inside is tugging at you. When you feel this way, pray. Spend time alone in a place where you can be quiet with your thoughts. Read scripture, seek godly counsel, perhaps keep a journal. Give yourself time to reason your impressions until you have a sense of direction.
A mom with a hunch, attended an educational lecture titled “How to Keep Your Kids Safe on the Internet,” because she suspected that her 16-year-old step-son, Josh, was involved in illicit online activities. Although Tanya and her husband had installed parental safety controls on Josh’s computer, he learned how to navigate around them. “He downloaded pornographic sites, and chatted with older men online,” revealed Tanya.
Even after Josh’s computer and cell phone were removed, Tanya had a sense that he was continuing his activities. “I just had a really bad feeling one morning when Josh was late for breakfast,” she shared. “I went up to his room to find that he was on a borrowed cell phone sending and receiving explicit photographs.”
Nothing in Tanya’s past had prepared her for dealing with these types of problems. Trusting the Spirit and praying over Josh revealed issues Tanya needed to uncover.
However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. (John 16:13)
Although the truth nearly splintered Tanya’s family apart, prayer and Christian counseling assisted in the healing process.
Dads also tap into their intuition. When I was a young teenager, before cell phones were commonly used, my siblings, cousins, and I, drove several hours to the local mountains for the day. My Dad, who was at home, had a "sense" that we were in danger and drove up to check up on us.
My 10-year-old sister while sliding down the snow-covered mountain on an out-of-control inner tube crashed into a tree and suffered a concussion. My cousin, who had the car keys, couldn’t be reached. My parents drove up while my older brother was carrying my little sister to a distant hospital. Had my Dad not responded immediately, my sister’s positive outcome might have been different.
Be courageous!
As Christian parents, we have the privilege of welcoming the Lord of the universe into our lives and homes. If we seek His guidance, He will direct our path. I Corinthians 2:11b says: “Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God.” We come to know God’s wisdom through the Holy Spirit, for the Holy Spirit knows the things of God.
If we get in the habit of tuning in and not second-guessing ourselves, we will make better choices for ourselves and our children.
Immerse yourself in prayer. Then, be still and listen.
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