Daily Devotions
Narcissistic Parenting
Reading for January 9th: Genesis 29-31
And Leah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Reuben, for she said, "Because the LORD has looked upon my affliction; for now my husband will love me."
Genesis 29:32
Are we guilty of using our children to boost our own self-image?
It's so easy to see in others. Leah and Rachel's motives could not be more obvious, giving their children names which meant: "Now this time my husband will be attached to me" or "I have wrestled with my sister and prevailed" or "Now my husband will honor me." (Gen 29:34; 30:8, 20)
We see it in these mothers who shamelessly parade their toddlers in beauty pageants. We point the accusatory finger at the hyper competitive little league dads who vainly try to groom their children for the big league.
But what about the rest of us? What is easy to see in everyone else is harder to see in self. We all struggle with the desire to see our children succeed in whatever they are doing (athletics, academics, music, Scouts, etc.) to make us look good. What is the solution for this?
- Understand they are not your children. They are given to us on loan from God. We are merely stewards of God's blessings. We encourage them to achieve and succeed to bring glory to Him, not ourselves. We want them to exercise their talents to be useful to accomplish His purposes, not our own.
- Glory in God, not your kids. We don't need our children to affirm our worth. We're valuable because God says we are. We have infinite worth because the blood of an infinitely worthy being was given for us. The fact that our child receives a full scholarship to an Ivy League school doesn't make us more special.
Father, forgive us for using these precious gifts from your hand to exalt self. Help us to develop their talents and gifts so that they might serve and glorify you.
