I Want My Kids To Be Popular

Confession, I want my kids to be popular. I want them to be included and not feel left out. I want them to feel wanted by their peers. I want them to be accepted. I dont want them to feel like I did as a kid. Made fun of, left out of the cool birthday parties, isolated at recess.

Yes, believe it or not that was me as a kid. It began in 5th grade for me or at least thats my most clear memories. I was skinny. I wore glasses. I had an awful haircut. Its funny to look back now, but I hated it then.

I have had to face these memories and those feelings and face my sinful desire for my kids to be cool. No its not sinful for my kids to be cool, but it is sinful for me to put their coolness above their identity as a Christian.

Recently Trevor and I attended a parent teacher conference for our ten year old. It was a routine conference. But at this meeting we discovered that our son may be being bullied and made fun of. It breaks my heart. I wanted nothing more than to tell Micah all that his heart wanted to hear. But what I wanted to tell him would have been contrary to want the Bible says about who we are and the character of a Godly man.

-Except Responsibly
-Reject Passivity
-Lead Courageously
-Invest Eternally

You see these are the character traits of a Godly man that we are trying to instill in our boys. These have nothing to do with what they wear, if their included in the cool clique or if they have swagger {Ha! Yes I just said swagger, in all seriousness.}

But my deceitful heart tells me they will have a much easier road ahead in school if they are popular. If they will just fit in. If they will just be loved and accepted by other kids. As a parent its my responsibility to provided whatever avenue they need to obtain these things. Then they will have an easy life.

These are lies straight from Satan. Popular kids are searching for the same thing. Love and acceptance. And they will do whatever necessary to hold tight to their identity, the popular kid.

But I must cling to Truth and scripture that says, my identity is in Christ. That I am a new creation. I must show my children that the approval of man leads to death but the approval of God gives life. I must live I life that shows that in my weakness I am strong. I must live a life not for created things but for the Creator. This is where our identity if formed, where it is molded.

2 Corinthians 12:9-10

9 But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

I pray I will lead my kids in my weakness.