Call me naïve or old-fashioned if you want but there are still some things that I find difficult to accept. The other day I came across a flyer that was advertising a program on “Atheist Parenting” and “Raising Children without God” and it set me thinking. How in this day and age can anyone possibly parent effectively without God? With the world changing so fast, raising children throws up new challenges everyday, that I can’t imagine not having the Creator of all humanity to depend on for guidance and wisdom.

Unashamedly Christian, I am  a God lover, God chaser and totally dependent on Him to see me through this journey called life. I involve God in every aspect of my life including parenting and I honestly don’t know how I / we would have made it this far without Him.

I remember those long nights when the children fell ill with temperatures hitting scary highs… but for God the story may have been different. I recall the daily commute (spanning several years) to school and back, their stay in boarding school…they were never victims of car accidents or kidnapping. Neither do I take for granted their academic achievements. Even in keeping lines of communication open I require Gods wisdom. Our children are now at the stage of making various choices – career, staying out late with friends, dating… how can I truly have peace but for the fact that I’m confident that their Creator – God, is watching over them? To be totally honest I sometimes wake-up at night a bit panicky when I realize its late and they’re not yet home but then I say a prayer, hand them over to God and go back to sleep.

It would be preposterous to think that it is luck or our ingenuity that has helped and kept our children so far. It would also be very careless and risky to leave their future to chance.

One of the practical ways I involve God in doing my job as a parent is by praying for and with the children, regardless of distance – thank God for technology. I pave their future with the word of God and encourage them to make this a daily practice. We also emphasize the importance of deepening their personal relationship with God and identifying with a place of worship.

I’m aware that not everyone reading this is Christian but I do hope that you call on God to guide and help you successfully execute what may well be the most important job of your life. It is my profound opinion that parenting without God is like groping in the dark. Turn on the light and involve God who created all, knows all and cares for all.

Ladies and Gentlemen, with these few points of mine, I hope I’ve been able to convince you that parenting with God is a sine qua non for peaceful, pleasurable and effective parenting. Thank you!