There is no greater calling than being a parent. There is no weightier, more humbling or more fulfilling calling than being a parent. The Bible tells us plainly that we are to bring up our children “in the discipline and instruction of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4). That is no small task.
The significance of parenting is felt by Christians and Muslims alike. Sr. Maryam is right when she writes:
Your children are a trust. Your desire to financially provide for your children is honorable and praiseworthy. But realize that in the end, regardless of how much you are able to materialistically provide for them, what they would have appreciated most as a child, and what they will inshaAllah value limitlessly as an adolescent and as an adult, is their ability to connect with the father or mother who has nurtured them and showed undivided interest in them from birth.
We won’t be able to give this love, though, unless we are first captivated and awed by the love of God. To rightly parent children through all the little things in life we first need a vision of the greatness of our Creator and his purposes in the world. John Piper says this so well:
The women who flourish most and who delight most in that calling [motherhood]—and who are best at it—are not women whose lives are circumscribed by their houses. They are women who are aware of the world. They’re aware of God’s global purpose. They’re aware of the ultimate purposes of God in history. They’re aware of things in history and in the far off reaches of the world today that God is doing.
So what is the most important thing we can do to grow as parents? Know God. Simple. Yet, impossible apart from divine grace.
Dustin,
I know you mean well, brother.
But it is a huge mistake to run a blog that puts Jesus Christ next to Islam as though they were two honorable “institutions” or “philosophies”, even if you think one is correct.
I love the Islamic people, but what they need is Jesus Christ, not a place at the never-ending discussion table, or blogrolling their blogs for international broadcast online.
Christianity is a religion of kerygma (proclamation) of the Way, and the Truth and the Life, not a discussion topic.
I’ve RSS’d your blog for a while now to see where it’s going. This current post is a perfect example of the emptiness of equal-side-by-side commonality “understanding”.
It doesn’t even mention Jesus Christ, the very Life and Core of your being and end.
It quotes a Muslim and a Christian, positioning them as two wise and honorable allies.
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To the Muslims who may read this:
I love you with all my heart.
I love you enough to tell you that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He is both God and Man, who came to Earth to save His people.
He died on the cross 2000 years ago to pay for the sins of men and women. Then He rose from the dead, and is alive today, the only Lord and Savior of men.
Only those who believe in Him as Lord and Savior will enter paradise, heaven. But to know Him is sweet and good. To follow Him is a great joy.
And He gives salvation as a free gift, through His death, burial and resurrection. That is the Good News we call the Gospel.
There is no other way. On the contrary, all who reject Him will be subject to the wrath of God forever. “It is appointed for men once to die, and then comes the judgment.”
Flee the wrath to come. Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved. I humbly beg you.
You can never be good enough to earn the love and salvation of the perfect and holy Lord. But He gives His salvation to everyone who believes in Him.
Jesus says, “Whoever will may come.”
Whoever will come to Jesus, He said, He will in no way cast out.
The Scriptures say that whoever does not honor the Son [Jesus] does not honor the Father [God].
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Peace to all who honor the Son.
Terry,
Thank you for your honest and passionate comment. I appreciate your love for Jesus Christ and for the truth of the gospel. I join you in this love.
The desire of my blog is not to put Jesus Christ next to Islam. My desire is for us to see that “those Muslims” are people just like “us Christians.” Too often I see Muslims and Christians engaging one another with an us vs. them mentality as though we are too different peoples fighting against each other. I want to see “those Muslims” as human beings, just like “us Christians” so that I see Muslims and Christians as “us humans” who are all sinners and in need of the same thing – forgiveness of sins, purification and peace with God that comes only through Jesus Christ.
I know that my Muslim friends don’t agree with things I believe just as they know I don’t agree with them on things. I’m not interested in pretending that Islam and Christianity (or any other religion) are equally valid paths to God that teach the same things. When I post about parenting and quote a Muslim and a Christian, my point is that both Muslims and Christians care deeply about their children. My desire is that Muslims and Christians will see that we aren’t so different from one another. We each have hopes and dreams and want to see our children grow up to be good members of society who love God and obey him. Of course we will disagree on what that looks like, but the core desire is the same. We want good for our children.
I encourage you to keep reading and to continue to push back when you think I’m wrong. That’s what I want Muslim readers to do too. My hope is that this could become a place where Muslims and Christians are respectfully sharing with one another. It will mean that people disagree, but when we disagree with the grace you have shown to me, I think it is healthy and good for each of us.
Dustin,
I think I really see where you are coming from, and again I know you mean well.
It’s really a matter of Anthropology (as a branch of Theology, that is).
Specifically, regarding our our “core desires” being the same, I recommend reading Romans 3:10-18*.
It speaks of the “core desires” of the unregenerate (which we certainly shared before we knew Christ). But 2 Corinthians 5:17** expresses the radical departure of those who are “new creations” with new “core desires”.
We are given a new heart upon our conversion to Christ, along with the indwelling of the Spirit of Christ, and that new heart makes Romans 3:11-18 past tense. We, of course, can take no credit for it, since it was entirely by grace.
Blessings,
Terry
*10 as it is written:
“None is righteous, no, not one;
11 no one understands;
no one seeks for God.
12 All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;
no one does good,
not even one.”
13 “Their throat is an open grave;
they use their tongues to deceive.”
“The venom of asps is under their lips.”
14 “Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.”
15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood;
16 in their paths are ruin and misery,
17 and the way of peace they have not known.”
18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
** 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.