You're Not Enough to Parent Your Kids...But God Is

**Christy Young** (0:00)
What if the most freeing thing you could admit as a parent is the very thing that you're most afraid to say out loud? I am not enough.
I am not enough to save my children. I'm not enough to redeem their hearts. I'm not enough to control their future. I'm not enough to keep them from suffering. I'm not enough to make them love Jesus. And I'm not enough to be patient every moment, wise every moment, calm every moment, spiritually strong every moment.

**Larry** (0:30)
You know, when it comes to Christian parenting, that it doesn't start with you being, you know, thinking you have it all together because you don't, right? And so that doesn't mean you lack self-confidence, but it definitely isn't something that's a requirement for you to be a parent. And what we're called to do as a parent, we're just called to abide.
As a Christian parent, as a believer, you're called to abide in Christ. And that is where, I believe, parenting begins.

**Christy Young** (1:01)
Okay. So you guys, today, Larry and I are going to talk about this. Am I capable and equipped to be a parent? Because we've talked to people, you know, when you're a brand new parent, you don't feel, definitely don't feel equipped to be a parent. And so this is a question we all wrestle with. And the honest answer is no, none of us are capable except in Christ. None of us, to give you a little glimmer into where we're headed, none of us are capable in and of ourselves, and none of us are equipped in and of ourselves. So be comforted if that's how you're feeling today.
OK, you guys, hey, y'all, this is Christy Young with The Gritty Gospel. And today, y'all, my partner in crime, Heather Copeland, has been slammed in life.

**Larry** (1:42)
I thought you would call me Heather.

**Christy Young** (1:43)
I am so blessed to have my husband here with me tonight, and I'm super excited. Why don't you introduce yourself, honey?

**Larry** (1:52)
Hi, I'm Larry, and I'm just standing in for Heather. So I'm just like a placement here.

**Christy Young** (1:57)
Oh, and y'all are in for a treat. I often say to both Heather and to Larry, they're like the same person, but different. I mean, obviously, they're different, but they are both so funny and so cute and so my compliment in so many ways. I love them both so much. Although, Heather, we miss you. Okay.
Okay. So but we're jumping in today, you guys, to talk about this question. Am I capable and am I equipped to be a parent because we've all wrestled with this? I know for Larry and I, when we first had our first baby, we came home and when they put the baby in the car, we literally looked at each other and I was like, wait, no one's going home with us. There's no class we take.

**Larry** (2:35)
No instruction manual.

**Christy Young** (2:38)
I mean, there was a part of it just like, I just remember holding the car seat like, Larry, you can't get a car accident. We can't just be so careful.
But do you remember that? And so anyway, we get the feeling where you don't feel equipped as a parent. And so, but God is so good. And so y'all, in this episode today, we're not talking about like the Pinteresty version of parenting, where we all have days that are awesome and our kids are well behaved.
It's like that everyone's in linen, children smiling at family worship version of parenting. We're not talking about that perfect picture of parenting. And the few days we have, maybe parts of days we have that are like that. Today, we're talking about y'all the real, like when kids are melting down, your teenager might be acting funky and you're trying to figure it out. The baby needs you. The toddler just pooped on their pants. You've disciplined the child. Yeah, for like the 13th time. And dinner's burning. You're trying to like get dinner made. And then you're standing there thinking, Lord, there's no way. What in the world made you think I was qualified for this? I can't do this. It's impossible. I am not good at this. I am not, I'm not sufficient. There's not enough of me to go around. And I know you've all felt that before. Yeah, I certainly have.

**Larry** (3:50)
Yeah, I know. That's true. And if you're, you are a parent, or at least an engaged parent at one time or another, you have felt that. I know I feel it.
And, you know, this really matters because the world will tell you two sets of lies. Right. On the one side, it'll tell you that you are sufficient. Right. You're enough in of yourself.