When The Family Shatters

WED, 14 AUG 2019

‘Forgive as the Lord forgave you.’ Colossians 3:13 NIV

When divorce shatters your family, how can you help your children? First, stop talking about who doesn’t accept them, and surround them with people who do. As a parent your love can go a long way towards compensating for another’s neglect. Remind them that ‘Ken’ and ‘Barbie’ are just dolls, and prepare them to live in the real world. Encourage them to be strong, not self-pitying.

As they get older teach them that if they meet someone they have to ‘change’ in order to ‘love’, they haven’t met the right one. When love is right it can live with strengths and weaknesses under the same roof, because ‘love covers over a multitude of sins.’ (1 Peter 4:8 NIV) Real love covers a mistake like an insurance policy covers a driver in an accident. Don’t use your children as weapons to get back at one another. Be sure they understand that you are the one who got divorced, not them. Explain that someone can be unsuited as a companion but still be a good parent. When you take away the blame, you take away the shame and everybody can move forward. Bitterness is a thief, but you don’t have to let it steal your peace, your creativity, your song, or your hope for a better future.

Remember, that was then—this is now. There must be a ‘now’ for you and your children, so let it begin today. God’s promise is: ‘I am about to do something new.’ (Isaiah 43:19 NLT) So you can start over and rebuild.