When an adult child goes astray, the most common question I hear as a pastor is, “Was I a bad parent?” We tend to take responsibility for our adult children’s faith or lack thereof, even though I believe Scripture refutes any such notion. The challenge is that every one of us could have been better parents. I mean, who thinks they were perfect as parents? And how good is good enough? So guilt has many places to lodge while it condemns us, accuses us, and discourages us. This will be a two-part post, as the discussion is a long one. Today’s post seeks just to answer the question, “Was I a bad parent,” with verses that say “not necessarily.” In the coming months, we’ll need to help parents come to terms with genuine failings, but for now, let’s just do our best at answering this first and most pressing question. (Of course, the good news is that because of the love and power of Jesus, even if we were bad parents, that doesn’t put any child outside of God’s reach.)
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