Taking Care of My Kids

Those of us who have devoted our lives to helping God’s kids by serving in the fields of youth ministry and education can tend to feel overwhelmed most (if not all) of the time. Whether we are full-time, part-time, or volunteers, it’s demanding and tireless work.

And we spend so much time and energy dedicated to improving the lives of other people’s children that those of us with children of our own can sometimes wonder… what about my own kids? Am I giving them the attention that they need, or are they being unintentionally neglected because of the amount of time I spend in ministry?

A Word

In the early days of my youth ministry career, I had been emotionally and spiritually preparing for an intense time of ministry. I would be gone for a significant amount of time from my wife and our four children – all of whom were under the age of five. Though I was excited for the opportunity to evangelize God’s kids, I was feeling guilty that I would be leaving my own wife and kids at home in the process.

So, I shared my concerns with some trusted friends at a prayer meeting and asked for their prayers, not only for the upcoming ministry events but also for my family. And one of the men who was praying with me, who happened to be my father-in-law, had a prophetic word for me. As we were praying, he said something that I have never forgotten:

“The Lord wants you to know that if you take care of His kids, He will take care of yours.”

I was stunned into silence and flooded with gratitude and peace. And when I remember that word, I often still am.

A Caveat

Now, just to be crystal clear, the Lord was not telling me – nor is He telling you – that we should immerse ourselves in ministry to the detriment of our families. We need to pursue balanced lifestyles, and should be humbly accountable to our spouses, closest friends, and spiritual directors so that we don’t fall victim to self-deception or messiahism.

The temptation to workaholism in ministry is very real, and has been the downfall of many good people. As we are advised in Proverbs 4:24 “With all vigilance guard your heart, for in it are the sources of life.” We should never neglect our primary relationships with God, family, and friends for the sake of the Kingdom.

But what the Lord is saying to us (in my humble opinion) through the words of my father-in-law is what He has said to us in so many various ways through Scripture – that we should trust in God for all of our needs. If we are prayerfully striving to do His will in all things, He will take care of us… and our kids. It’s one of His greatest promises.

A Reminder

One time I shared the quote that God gave me through my father-in-law with a Catholic school teacher who was struggling with how busy she was, and she told me that she planned on placing the quote in a prominent place on her desk at school and also in a prominent place her home. I think that’s beautiful. She doesn’t want to forget what God spoke so powerfully to her heart:

“The Lord wants you to know that if you take care of His kids, He will take care of yours.”

A major theme in Scripture is remembering, probably because we can so easily forget what is most important! As Jesus tells us in John 14:26, “The Advocate, the Holy Spirit that the Father will send in my name – he will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you.” Not only does God always remember His covenant toward us, but He also calls us to remember His promises.

He who promises is faithful. He’ll take care of us – if we let Him.