Recently, I’ve been having a lot of conversations with friends about daughters and the common challenges that parents of girls often encounter. As I’ve been considering all of these discussions, five specific thoughts have surfaced about the truths my daughters need communicated to them as they continue to grow.
She needs to know God’s forgiveness.
My daughter).
She needs assurance that Jesus isn’t asking her to carry the weight of her own sin. She needs to know that God is currently at work and sanctifying her, making her more like her Savior (Romans 8:28-39).
As she grows, she needs to have confidence that I will not shame her publicly for her sin, talk about her struggles behind her back, speak about her like she isn’t in the room, or criticize her to others. She needs to know for sure that I’m not going to cloak gossip in the thin cover of “asking for advice” or “sharing my struggles” with a friend.
She needs to know that my hope is in Christ alone.
My daughter needs to hear me speak to her about my personal dependence on God’s grace, and that my hope is found in Christ alone. She needs to hear me ask for forgiveness from God and from her, and I need to be specific in my repentance. She needs a humble mom who confesses as publicly as she sinned.
She also needs to witness me receive God’s forgiveness with joy, not moping or wallowing in shame or embarrassment. I want to show her what it looks like to walk in freedom and reconciliation with God.
She needs to know that I like who she is.
My daughter needs to know that she’s not too much. She’s not an imposition on me, or an inconvenience, nor is she a difficulty. There are things that she will do that will be challenging to correct, but she is not a challenge. I want to assure her that I’m not ever going to turn her away when she comes to me with a need or concern.
