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You Don’t Have to Parent From an Empty Tank

“Beep! Beep! Beep!” I groaned. My alarm was calling me to wake early and spend time reading my Bible. I desperately needed that time to fill up my soul, but instead, I hit snooze.

God would still meet with me if I was 15 minutes late, right? But then I hit snooze again and again.. and to my shame, again. 

The extra sleep left me barely enough time to get myself and three pairs of little feet off to school. I might have said a prayer asking God to miraculously turn every stoplight green so we wouldn’t be late to school, but I did not spend quality time in the Bible that morning.

And before I knew it, it had been a week, then two weeks, then a month since the last time I opened my Bible and let it’s truth teach, correct and equip me. 

From God’s command of “Commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these words of mine” to the desert wandering Israelites in Deuteronomy 11:18 to Paul’s directive in 1 Timothy 4:13 to “Devote yourself to the public reading of scripture,” the need to be intensely dedicated to the study and application of scripture is echoed through the entire Bible.

God designed us to need his word and he gave us his word to meet our needs.

Did you know that God never designed you to parent on an empty tank? God designed us to need his word and he gave us his word to meet our needs! Come discover with us today how he wants to nourish your heart.

With this in mind, imagine the malnourishment of my soul if I’m thirty days removed from the last time I fed my faith with the sustenance of God’s word. I have been in this place more than once so I can tell you from experience that it is barren, desolate, empty and impoverished.

And a spiritually starved soul can’t possibly give of itself to the people around it. There’s simply nothing to give. Yet this is exactly what a parent has to do. Whether we are spiritually fed or not, we must give and give endlessly every day. This is how so many parents end up utterly exhausted.

If we rarely spend time in God’s word, we will always lack what we need to be godly parents. However, if we commit to reading and applying the perfect truth of the Bible, the results will be incredible! According to 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (TPT) we will be: 

Empowered by its instruction and correction
Given the strength, we need to take the right direction
Led deeper on the path of godliness
Fully mature
Perfectly prepared to fulfill any assignment God gives you

This is stunning news for every parent.

God will use the Bible to prepare and equip you for the good work of parenting.

You don’t have to parent from an empty tank! New strength is readily available for you in God’s word.

When parenting leaves us weary, worn thin and utterly perplexed we have hope and help in the dusty book on our nightstand or the tucked away Bible app on our iPhone. We simply need to open it and like an ice cold glass of water on a blazing hot day, it will quench the thirst of our soul and fuel us for what is ahead. 

If you are not sure where to start reading in the Bible, here are a few of my favorite passages. I encourage you to read each one slowly two or three times in a row. Write down what sticks out, what God is speaking to you and how you want to apply this passage to your everyday life. You will be amazed at what you find!

Deuteronomy 11:18-20

Hebrews 12:1-2

Romans 12:1-2

Shelby Turner
www.shelbyraeturner.com

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