God's Goal for You and Your Kids
God's Goal: Evaluating your goals against God's goal
Pathway Parenting Week 3 Recap
Over the past two weeks, we’ve discussed how the goals we set and the paths we walk are essential in shaping not only our lives but the future of our children. Goals are more than aspirations—they define where we are heading and determine the direction of our family. This week, we take a deeper look at what the Bible says about our ultimate goal as parents and believers: to reflect the image of God and lead our children to do the same.
God's Original Design: Image-Bearers
In Genesis 1:26-28, we are told that mankind was created to bear God's image. This was His design from the beginning: for us to reflect His character: His mercy, grace, compassion, and His loyal love. Being an image-bearer is about living in a way that reveals who God is to the world around us.
However, in Genesis 3, we see the devastating impact of Satan's deception of the man and woman. Adam and Eve’s decision to choose their own path over God’s led to sin entering the world. They didn't want to represent His character or desires; they wanted to do it their own way. Thus, God's goal of filling the earth with image-bearers -- those who do what is good in His eyes -- just got a little bit more complicated. How is God going to fill the earth with those who reflect His character when the only two image-bearers He created refused to do the job?
So, God made a plan. He would send a His Son, the true Image-Bearer, who would crush the deceiving serpent and would fix the problem. It is through Him that the earth would come to be filled with image-bearers. Those who trust in God's plan would have the opportunity to represent Him as a part of His family... But those who reject God's plan would only represent selfishness and evil.
Two Teams: God's Family and Satan’s Family
Even today, we are either part of God’s family, the seed of the woman, or part of Satan’s family, the seed of the serpent (Genesis 3:15). This is a reality we often overlook. Being part of God’s family requires faith and a submission to His desires, while Satan’s family is marked by selfish ambition and rebellion.
As the story progressed, Israel was chosen by God to be His son, a representative of Him to the nations (Exodus 4:22), but even Israel failed in this role and rebelled against the LORD (Isaiah 1:2-4). Like Adam and Eve, God’s people repeatedly chose their own way instead of fulfilling their purpose as image-bearers. However, God’s plan remained unchanged. He promised that through His Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ, the perfect image-bearer, He would redeem and restore His wayward son, Israel. The Old Testament even anticipated that one day, Israel will serve God faithfully as His son, and through them, people from every nation will have the opportunity to worship Him as adopted sons (Daniel 7:13-14; Galatians 4:4-7).
So, even today, we each have a choice to make. Whose family are you in, and who will you and your children represent? Will it be all about you and your ambitions in life? Or will it be about Him and bearing His image? I'll add another layer: Do you want your children to reflect your image or His?
Parenting in Light of God’s Character
As parents, this understanding of God’s goal for His family (producing image-bearers) has profound implications. It’s easy to set goals for our children based on what we hope they achieve or the successes we want them to have. But how often do we stop to ask if those goals align with God’s ultimate purpose for their lives?
Reflecting God’s character is not something that can be taught with mere words—it has to be demonstrated through our actions. God didn’t just tell us what His character was like; He showed us through His actions, especially in sending Christ. Just as God demonstrated His mercy, grace, and compassion to us, we as parents are called to demonstrate godly character to our children.
Think about it—God could have simply said, "Be merciful, compassionate, and gracious." Instead, He crafted a redemptive story where He turned Satan's evil leading to the fall for good, showing us His mercy firsthand. Because we were first sinners, we who believe have experienced God’s mercy and grace, so we can understand and reflect that character to others, including our children. This is how we lead them into becoming image-bearers: by living out what we believe and modeling godliness in the everyday moments of life.
Evaluating Our Goals: Do They Align with God’s?
At this point, it’s crucial to ask ourselves some hard questions: Are our goals aligned with God’s? Is our ultimate goal for ourselves and our children to bear His image? Or are we more focused on worldly ambitions and personal successes?
God’s goal for us is to be adopted as His sons and daughters, to be transformed into His likeness, and to reflect His character. This is not an easy path. It’s a journey that often brings enmity to the world, persecution, suffering, and self-sacrifice. One of the hardest prayers a parent can pray is for their children to follow Christ, knowing that it puts them in the enemy's line of fire and may even lead them to make decisions that go against worldly expectations.
Consider the reality: pursuing this goal might mean that your child dedicates their life to Christ in ways you never imagined, possibly sacrificing personal comfort, career ambitions, or worldly success. This can be a tough pill to swallow for parents who naturally want what seems “best” for their kids. But what is truly best—leading them toward temporal success or eternal life and fulfilling their created purpose?
Why Choose God's Goal?
Genesis 3 reminds us that we live under a curse, and there’s no avoiding the brokenness of this world, regardless of which family we choose - the serpent's or the LORD's. Suffering, hardship, and death are inevitable. The only choice we have is whether we will endure these things for a higher purpose or for nothing at all.
The Bible tells us that we can live under the curse for God’s purpose, bearing His image and reflecting His glory, or we can live for ourselves and be subject to the second death. The latter is a worthless path AND the destination is death and destruction, while the former leads to life beyond the curse, a destination free from sin and suffering, and a path full of purpose.
Moving Forward: Will You Make This Your Goal?
So where does this leave us as parents? Are we willing to make God’s goal our goal? Are we ready to prioritize the task of raising image-bearers who reflect God’s character above all else? This may mean a harder path for both us and our children, but it’s the only path that makes sense.
As we continue in this parenting journey, we will focus on the practical ways the Bible teaches us to walk this path. But for now, I encourage you to reflect on your goals and ask: Are my goals aligned with God’s? Am I willing to make image-bearing the central goal for myself and my children? And am I prepared to face the consequences, both of accepting and of rejecting this goal?
Conclusion: Preparing for the Path Ahead
This week, take some time to evaluate your personal goals and priorities. Ask yourself:
Next week, we’ll begin talking about the path the Bible lays out for achieving this goal. It’s going to be a challenging but rewarding journey as we dive into the steps necessary to walk with God and raise children who reflect His character.
God's Original Design: Image-Bearers
In Genesis 1:26-28, we are told that mankind was created to bear God's image. This was His design from the beginning: for us to reflect His character: His mercy, grace, compassion, and His loyal love. Being an image-bearer is about living in a way that reveals who God is to the world around us.
However, in Genesis 3, we see the devastating impact of Satan's deception of the man and woman. Adam and Eve’s decision to choose their own path over God’s led to sin entering the world. They didn't want to represent His character or desires; they wanted to do it their own way. Thus, God's goal of filling the earth with image-bearers -- those who do what is good in His eyes -- just got a little bit more complicated. How is God going to fill the earth with those who reflect His character when the only two image-bearers He created refused to do the job?
So, God made a plan. He would send a His Son, the true Image-Bearer, who would crush the deceiving serpent and would fix the problem. It is through Him that the earth would come to be filled with image-bearers. Those who trust in God's plan would have the opportunity to represent Him as a part of His family... But those who reject God's plan would only represent selfishness and evil.
Two Teams: God's Family and Satan’s Family
Even today, we are either part of God’s family, the seed of the woman, or part of Satan’s family, the seed of the serpent (Genesis 3:15). This is a reality we often overlook. Being part of God’s family requires faith and a submission to His desires, while Satan’s family is marked by selfish ambition and rebellion.
As the story progressed, Israel was chosen by God to be His son, a representative of Him to the nations (Exodus 4:22), but even Israel failed in this role and rebelled against the LORD (Isaiah 1:2-4). Like Adam and Eve, God’s people repeatedly chose their own way instead of fulfilling their purpose as image-bearers. However, God’s plan remained unchanged. He promised that through His Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ, the perfect image-bearer, He would redeem and restore His wayward son, Israel. The Old Testament even anticipated that one day, Israel will serve God faithfully as His son, and through them, people from every nation will have the opportunity to worship Him as adopted sons (Daniel 7:13-14; Galatians 4:4-7).
So, even today, we each have a choice to make. Whose family are you in, and who will you and your children represent? Will it be all about you and your ambitions in life? Or will it be about Him and bearing His image? I'll add another layer: Do you want your children to reflect your image or His?
Parenting in Light of God’s Character
As parents, this understanding of God’s goal for His family (producing image-bearers) has profound implications. It’s easy to set goals for our children based on what we hope they achieve or the successes we want them to have. But how often do we stop to ask if those goals align with God’s ultimate purpose for their lives?
Reflecting God’s character is not something that can be taught with mere words—it has to be demonstrated through our actions. God didn’t just tell us what His character was like; He showed us through His actions, especially in sending Christ. Just as God demonstrated His mercy, grace, and compassion to us, we as parents are called to demonstrate godly character to our children.
Think about it—God could have simply said, "Be merciful, compassionate, and gracious." Instead, He crafted a redemptive story where He turned Satan's evil leading to the fall for good, showing us His mercy firsthand. Because we were first sinners, we who believe have experienced God’s mercy and grace, so we can understand and reflect that character to others, including our children. This is how we lead them into becoming image-bearers: by living out what we believe and modeling godliness in the everyday moments of life.
Evaluating Our Goals: Do They Align with God’s?
At this point, it’s crucial to ask ourselves some hard questions: Are our goals aligned with God’s? Is our ultimate goal for ourselves and our children to bear His image? Or are we more focused on worldly ambitions and personal successes?
God’s goal for us is to be adopted as His sons and daughters, to be transformed into His likeness, and to reflect His character. This is not an easy path. It’s a journey that often brings enmity to the world, persecution, suffering, and self-sacrifice. One of the hardest prayers a parent can pray is for their children to follow Christ, knowing that it puts them in the enemy's line of fire and may even lead them to make decisions that go against worldly expectations.
Consider the reality: pursuing this goal might mean that your child dedicates their life to Christ in ways you never imagined, possibly sacrificing personal comfort, career ambitions, or worldly success. This can be a tough pill to swallow for parents who naturally want what seems “best” for their kids. But what is truly best—leading them toward temporal success or eternal life and fulfilling their created purpose?
Why Choose God's Goal?
Genesis 3 reminds us that we live under a curse, and there’s no avoiding the brokenness of this world, regardless of which family we choose - the serpent's or the LORD's. Suffering, hardship, and death are inevitable. The only choice we have is whether we will endure these things for a higher purpose or for nothing at all.
The Bible tells us that we can live under the curse for God’s purpose, bearing His image and reflecting His glory, or we can live for ourselves and be subject to the second death. The latter is a worthless path AND the destination is death and destruction, while the former leads to life beyond the curse, a destination free from sin and suffering, and a path full of purpose.
Moving Forward: Will You Make This Your Goal?
So where does this leave us as parents? Are we willing to make God’s goal our goal? Are we ready to prioritize the task of raising image-bearers who reflect God’s character above all else? This may mean a harder path for both us and our children, but it’s the only path that makes sense.
As we continue in this parenting journey, we will focus on the practical ways the Bible teaches us to walk this path. But for now, I encourage you to reflect on your goals and ask: Are my goals aligned with God’s? Am I willing to make image-bearing the central goal for myself and my children? And am I prepared to face the consequences, both of accepting and of rejecting this goal?
Conclusion: Preparing for the Path Ahead
This week, take some time to evaluate your personal goals and priorities. Ask yourself:
- Are my goals truly aligned with God’s purpose?
- Where does image-bearing rank in my list of priorities?
- Am I willing to accept the consequences of making this my top goal?
- Am I willing to accept the consequences of NOT making this my top goal?
Next week, we’ll begin talking about the path the Bible lays out for achieving this goal. It’s going to be a challenging but rewarding journey as we dive into the steps necessary to walk with God and raise children who reflect His character.
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