Our children may, at times, make parenting very difficult. Sometimes, we might be tempted to say, "Fine, I'm done with you!" But God is never done with them and we're still called to be their parents.

Our children may, at times, make parenting very difficult. Sometimes, we might be tempted to say, "Fine, I'm done with you!" But God is never done with them and we're still called to be their parents.

If you want to be free to serve Jesus, there’s no question—stay single. Marriage takes a lot of time. But if you want to become more like Jesus, I can’t imagine any better thing to do than to get married. Being married forces you to face some character issues you’d never have to face otherwise.

Having children made me confront my true fears and trust in God many times over in a much more intensified manner.

It's astonishing how quickly cultural references change. Each new generation of parents grows up with a new slate of cultural understanding, television shows, and unique parental issues. The biblical principles remain the same, however, so this was a slight reworking, not a major overhaul.

Christian love must be chased after, aspired to, and practiced.

Ideally, as parents we'd have unlimited energy, the ability to manage tricky emotions like fear and anger, vast stores of wisdom to answer complicated but important questions, love that never grows tired, patience that never ends... Every parent would like to have all of these, but God alone possesses them fully. Parenting reminded me of what I lacked more than it ever made me feel equipped. But there's a spiritual purpose in that!