Giving Your Child to God

 

Do you remember the day your dedicated your baby to the Lord?

I remember the day well for both of my kids. We were at a small church, so my husband and I had the privilege of having our own dedication day. The church we attend now has dedication two times a year, with sometimes 50 parents participating at once.

On the day my daughter (who wishes to remain anonymous) was dedicated, my husband wanted my son to stand with us. My son was 3 at the time and was not shy at all. I did not want him to be up there, because I did not know how he would behave. In the middle of the dedication, a train went by the church. My son looked at his grandmother on the 3rd row and shouted, “Mimi, I hear a choo-choo”. I was embarrassed, but the rest of the church thought it was adorable so they laughed. I told my husband afterwards, “I told you so!” It is one of those precious memories we will never forget.

Did you really mean it, when you told God you would dedicate your child to Him?

Now almost 18 years later, I have to ask myself if I really dedicated my children to the Lord. My son is out of the country right now on a mission trip . In the fall he will be leaving for college. Over the summer I have thought of this verse many times:

“Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, ‘Abraham!’ And he said, ‘Here I am.’ Then He said, ‘Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.'” Genesis 22:1-2 (NKJV).

Let me ask you, have you given your children to the Lord. If God had tested you in this way, would you have been obedient? God is not asking us to literally sacrifice our children on the alter, but He expects us to give them to Him. They are His anyway, whether we give them to Him or not. We as parents like to be in control, but we really are not. God is in control of our children’s lives. He determined before they were born how long they would live, “A person’s days are determined; You have decreed the number of his months and have set limits he cannot exceed” Job 14:5 (NIV).

You have no control over when your child will die. “Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?” Matthew 6:27 (NIV). It is time to release your children to the Lord.  I hate to sound heartless, but when the Lord calls your child to heaven there is nothing you can do to stop it from happening. Hopefully our children will live long lives, but none of us are promised tomorrow. When our time is up, we can die in a car, plane or terrorist attack. All of us have to offer ourselves, as well as our children, as a living sacrifice to the Lord.

“Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship” Romans 12:1 (NASB).

Why should you release my children to the Lord?

You should release your children to the Lord because it will relieve you of needless worry and anxiety. Your worry will not help your child. Satan would love for us to be tied up with anxiety to the point we are not functioning well throughout the day.

I can honestly say that when my son boarded the plane for his mission trip that I had 100% peace about his trip. There were to fly for 5 hours, then ride a ferry for 4.5 hours. They made it safely to their destination, but must return in the same way they left. I have 100% peace about the return trip as well. I also have peace about him leaving for college in the fall. It does not mean that I will never worry or miss him, but I know he is doing what God has called him to do at this time. I cannot help my son by worrying nor can I help him by holding him back.  It is time for him to fly the coop. There will be bumps in the road, but I have to release him. He needs to discover his calling in life, which I cannot help him with. It is time for God to take over. My son knows how to listen to the Lord, so it is time for me to shut up so he can listen to God.

Lord, I release my son to you. Thank you for allowing me to raise him in my home.