“Where does our hope come from? Our hope comes from the Lord!”
PSALM 121:1
Becoming a single mom may bring fear from the statistics of children raised in single parent homes. The research becomes sirens of disasters ahead without a proactive plan for beating the odds. We all know or even have first-hand knowledge of children struggling with the repercussions of divorce or solo-parent homes. Yet there is hope.
A friend of mine, Nate, an adult child of divorce, describes how he came to know Christ after several years of seeking thrills, success, and money then coming up empty. He recognized that the life he was living was not the life that he was called to live. He attempted to fill the holes formed out of the pain of his parent's divorce, with adventure.
Watching Nate’s story (CBN), I wondered how single parents could help their children mature and heal from the wounds of divorce and other traumas to be God-confident parents, spouses, and leaders - to empower them to embrace the family principles they never experienced.
Then Psalm 121:1 came to mind, “Where does our hope come from? Our hope comes from the Lord...!”
The Lord will fill in the gaps, as we trust in Him and His ways. Your children are watching where your hope lies. They will see from you that God is dependable. It is there they will experience the godly principles needed for life.
Here are three coaching tips to help point them to God.
1. Live today in the love of God.
Daily abiding in Christ will empower us to model unconditional love and grace. With our emotional cup filled with God’s love, we have the strength and resilience needed for parenting well.
Sit down with some hot java or sweet tea and your Bible and receive nourishment from the Lord. Here are some scriptures to get you started:
- You are loved (Isaiah 43:4).
- Nothing can separate you from the love of God (Romans 8:35-39).
- As you are rooted in the love of God, you are enabled to remain flexible in the troubles of life (Ephesians 3:17-19).
- Remember His love pursues us (John 4:10) and never fails (1 Corinthians 13:8).
As we live in His love, we can move into practicing His promises.
2. Act on the promises of today.
Claim several of the promises of God and daily act on them. Start with James 1:5, which tell us that if we ask God for wisdom, He will give it. Pray for guidance in everything, modeling for your children and, with the answers, glorifying God!
Another very practical verse to claim the power to walk with Jesus and battle the daily struggles is Romans 6:6, “We know that our old life was put to death on the cross with Christ. This happened so that our sinful selves would have no power over us. Then we would not be slaves to sin” (ERV).
A verse I practice every morning to stay in the present is Psalm 118:24, “This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it!” This battles my propensity to live in yesterday's regrets and tomorrow's fear.
Not only does He promise to provide practically for our daily needs, but also with our spiritual needs. We can live in His peace.
3. Rest today in the peace of God.
The sovereignty of God is the place of physical and spiritual rest. He provides forgiveness, grace, and love for our souls.
“He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” Colossians 1:12-14.
Even in the struggles of this world God’s Words tells us we have grace. “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28).
Our souls can rest in His faithful love. “Behold, God is my helper; The Lord is the sustainer of my soul (Psalm 54:4)”. “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; (Lamentations 3:22 ESV).
As we live, act, and rest in the truth of God’s love, promises, and peace, our children will see a faithful Father involved in their daily lives preparing them for a “hope and a future”. (Jeremiah 29:13).
MEET THE AUTHOR
Stacey Jeannett is the founder and director of Single Parent Focus, dedicated to walking and encouraging single parents to “seek God first” in all areas of their lives. Stacey holds a Master’s in Counseling and is a Life Coach through her ministry, Single Parent Focus.
A single parent for most of her daughter’s life and making plenty of mistakes, Stacey cried out to God and He pulled her from the pit of self-sufficiency. Remarried, she now has a blended family of four, along with two son-in-laws, and three adorable grandchildren that call her GG.
WHO WE ARE
The Life of a Single Mom is a national, faith-based, nonprofit that exists to see that no single mom walks alone. To date, the organization has worked with hundreds of churches to start a single mom’s support group in cities throughout the U.S. and beyond, as well as having served hundreds of thousands of single mothers with a variety of programs. Offering a large array of books, curriculum, training materials, online instructional videos, podcasts, newsletters, life skills education, and more, TLSM is one of the largest single mom organizations in the U.S. The robust selection of single mom programs focus on empowering single moms to grow spiritually, emotionally, financially, and parentally through Single Mom University, Single Moms Across America, the National TLSM Single Moms Conference, boot camps, and a variety of other programs. For more information, visit thelifeofasinglemom.com.
