Your Child is Not a Blank Canvas

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In parenting, there is often the tendency to imprint upon your child all of your personal aspirations and opinions as to who and what the child must become as an adult. You consider yourself the artist, destined with the role of creating a masterpiece! You imagine that God has plopped down in your lap this impressionable child, a blank canvas, upon which God Almighty has chosen YOU to paint your perfect idea of what this child will become in the world.

I hate to burst your grandiose bubble, but God himself is the artist. He has already painted the picture far better than you could ever dream of creating. No, your job as parent is not one of artist, but of restorer.

Think of the restorer in an art museum. A wealthy benefactor has donated a priceless Rembrandt painting to the museum. Alas, due to neglect and exposure to the elements, the painting is in sore need of restoration. The restorer's task is to slowly and painstakingly restore the original painting to its intended glory!

Your role as parent is similar to this. God himself has created a masterpiece, a child who already has a personality, likes and dislikes, different from your own. Your child has an intended purpose on his/her life, to display to the world the glory of his/her Creator in a unique manner! Alas, as with any person born into this world, this child you have been given has been tainted by sin and brokenness. On top of that, they are vulnerable to the world's treacheries and unable to fend for themselves.

Your job as parent is to join God in the work of restoration. As I mentioned in part 1 of this series, “Your Child is Like a Horse,” you do this work by teaching them how to function properly in the world step by step and providing them with the knowledge and love of God. In regards to the work of restoration, you are given this “priceless Rembrandt” not to paint over it what YOU will, but to do the work of helping the child discover what GOD has WILLED for his/her life.

By demonstrating to your child the daily love of God, teaching them how to follow His will, guiding them to discover the child's unique passions and gifts, you are assisting in the work of redemption. Think of the restorer, carefully removing layers of built up grime and touching up scratched areas of the piece so that it will one day be displayed in all its intended shining glory for the world to marvel at its creator.


[Part 2 of 4 in the "Your Child..." series]

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