Finding Steady Ground: Using Faith to Navigate Difficult Times with Your Children
PARENTING IS NEVER EASY…
—but some seasons feel especially heavy, don’t they?
Maybe you’ve walked through one of those in the past year or two. I know I have. Whether it was conflict with a teenager, behavior challenges with preschooler, or just the ache of watching your child struggle, these moments can leave us feeling powerless and uncertain. But through it all, faith has been the steady hand I reach for when mine feels too weak to hold on.
FAITH DOESN’T MAGICALLY FIX OUR PROBLEMS.
It doesn’t guarantee smooth relationships or obedient teens or easy answers. But it does offer a perspective that’s bigger than the current moment. When emotions run high or the future feels uncertain, faith reminds me that I’m not in this alone. God sees what I can’t. He knows my child’s heart better than I do. And He loves them even more deeply than I ever could.
There have been nights when all I could pray was, “Lord, please fill the gaps.” Gaps in my patience. Gaps in our communication. Gaps in my child’s understanding of who they are and how deeply they’re loved. And time and again, I’ve seen those prayers answered—not always immediately, not always in the way I expected, but always with gentleness and grace.
FAITH GIVES US COURAGE.
Courage that is absolutely essential to keep showing up, even when we feel like we’re failing. It helps us listen when we’d rather lecture. It helps us forgive when hurt runs deep. And maybe most importantly, it helps us see our children not just as projects to be fixed, but as souls in progress—just like us.
IF ANY OF THIS RESONATES, I WANT YOU TO HEAR THIS:
God is still working. Even if your teen isn’t responding the way you hoped. Even if your heart feels worn thin. Faith says there’s more happening than what we can see. It invites us to pray not just for quick fixes, but for deep transformation—both in our kids and in ourselves.
Looking back, I can see how much faith has anchored me when the waves came. Not because everything turned out perfect, but because I learned to lean into something unshakable. And I’m still learning. Still praying. Still trusting that God can redeem even the messiest moments for something good.
So if you're navigating difficulty right now, stay strong. Lock in. Keep praying. Let your kids see what it looks like to walk through struggle without losing hope. Your faith doesn’t have to be perfect—it just has to be real. That steady light may be the very thing that helps guide your child home.
