I found the short article, "Ambitious for Your Children?" by David Campbell to be very helpful. It caused me to reflect on my own ambitions for my children, especially when they were young. In doing so, I wonder if I placed a burden on them that they were never meant to bear. Here is the conclusion of his article:
Our children, it is true to say, may have no great part to play in the unfolding history of the kingdom of God. No-one may write a biography of them after they are gone. They may never serve on the mission-field, never hold office in the church, they may have no outstanding gifts. But if they have a heart for God, serve him faithfully, have the courage to do the right, and are clothed in godly humility, they will be great in the Lord’s sight. And nothing counts for more than that!
Let this, then, be our chief ambition for our children. As we pray for them, let these be the things we ask the Lord for above everything else. Unbelievers may not think very much of our children for having them. God, for his part, will think the world of them.
Lest you misunderstand his meaning, please read the greater context of these concluding remarks by reading the entire article here.(Image courtesy of Toa55 at FreeDigitalPhotos.net.)
