What does parenting have to do with deliverance? At some point, every one who has been set free was a child. In addition, much of the healing needed in an adult began with a moment of time from their childhood. Pivotal parenting is important! One occurrence of confusion, trauma, injustice, or fear can affect the rest of our lives! We all remember moments when the tide turned for things to go bad or for things to go well. We can recall that “AH HA” moment that started a chain of events into motion. It’s amazing what power one moment has to change our lives for the good or for the bad.
When parenting, there are times when a parent has to make split-second decisions! Sometimes we decide wrongly; which can initiate unfortunate consequences that we didn’t plan to happen. Pivotal moments!
Picking a Battle
As parents, we have to ask ourselves…..”Is this battle worth fighting?” Is this a pivotal moment in our relationship with each other or with God? There are some battles just not worth fighting like when a child wants to wear rain boots with a cute Christmas dress.
A good example of a non-pivotal moment with my son was when I determined he would eat a green bean. He decided otherwise. I told him to sit at the table until he ate one yummy green bean. Not a whole serving, mind you, just one! He refused. I told him he could get up when he ate one. He sat there until he fell asleep and I put him to bed. Who won? He did because he did not eat the green bean. Was that battle worth fighting? Absolutely not, in my opinion!
I suffered more than he did and he was still a picky eater. I realize that we must insist on obedience, but before we initiate the training, we have to be willing to pay the cost to be successful. For me, this was not a pivotal moment. He wasn’t in rebellion. He just didn’t like green beans and still won’t eat them as an adult.
Before making a decision, consider:
- Is the amount of time and pain I’m about to have to give worth the outcome?
- Is the decision I am about to make a heaven or hell issue? Is it addressing sin, which eventually always produces death? Will addressing this situation have an eternal good for my child?
- Am I going to be able to follow through with what I have said to my child?
Choosing the Battles
There are, however, battles that are worth fighting. If you get a check in your spirit when your child wants to go to someone’s house you don’t really know, please listen! Don’t ignore Holy Spirit trying to warn you of danger. Don’t let your child wear you down with their constant asking. Stand strong! When a child weakens our resolve by continual asking, whining, or throwing a tantrum, we teach them what tactic they can use again to win their way. A child who manipulates, rebels, or becomes angry at having to obey is fertile soil for spirits of rebellion, witchcraft, and hatred. Pivotal parenting is recognizing the battle that will have substantial consequences and making the right decision!
The Moment that Changed My Life
Pivotal Parenting Decisions Gone Wrong
There was an incident when I was permitted to spend the night with my best friend. She had an older brother who tried to molest me. His sister interrupted him, so he could not follow through with his sinister perverse plan. This was a pivotal moment for me as a naïve ten-year-old. At the time, I didn’t understand what was happening. From that moment on, I felt shame, guilt, and confusion. Thankfully, I was later set free through the power of Jesus Christ.
Weighing the Worth of the Battle
There is one battle you will be sure to have with your child as they become a teen, it is the battle of not attending church. I remember trying to get out of going to church as a child. As an older teenager, my lack of desire and discipline resulted into me not going to church at all. The most important place that I could have gone became optional for me. What a mistake this was!
The video below is a testimony of a young man who said the pivotal moment in his life was when his mom said he could stay home from church. He never went to church again and soon was immersed in a life of sin. If we want to be excellent parents, it involves the disciple and the passion for being with other believers on a regular basis.
We have to be on our knees for our children. The same battles have been fought throughout the ages and will go on until Jesus comes. There may be more dangers with social media than children have ever faced before. Consider the pivotal moment of when a ten-year-old with a cell phone clicks on a link and sees pornography for the first time. Parents who do not filter content and limit internet access currently provide children with the tool to view any type of perverse images. We have to be wise as serpents, and gentle as doves (Matthew 10:16). We can discipline our children in love but we must make sure we listen to Holy Spirit.
The Consequences of Losing
Winning battles with Pivotal Parenting on Purpose
The enemy hates our kids. We must take our children to God in prayer every day, every hour. Trust no one to have the best interest of your child but God. With every pivotal moment comes an opportunity to bring a child closer to God. Here are some tips to make the most of every moment:
- Pray for their hearts to become open to Him.
- Talk to them often.
- Pray with them always.
- Be someone they can tell everything to, even the things you don’t want to hear, especially when they are teens.
How I wish I had parents to talk to when I was young, what a difference that would have made in my life. I would not have made so many bad decisions and experienced so many pivotal moments that went the wrong way. You are your child’s best counselor, their best advocate, and their best cheerleader! How wonderful for your child to have a parent on their side, encouraging, listening, and loving!
God has given you the most precious gift in your child. Love them forever!
