The coach looked at Trey and me and asked, "Which child should I give up on?"
Those words keep ringing over and over again in my head.
To me, the one who often places more significance on justice than on grace and mercy, this question was convicting.
How many times have I grumbled about another chance given to a wayward child while mine followed the rules? How many times have I criticized teachers, coaches or bosses for giving another chance to a seemingly "lost cause"? But...when is giving up on someone okay? When do we stop giving 2nd...or 3rd...or 4th chances?
A dear friend of mine gave her husband another chance after he was unfaithful. Now their marriage is a testament to the grace of God with 3 precious children. They are serving God in a local church and connecting with men and women who desperately need forgiveness and who desperately need to forgive.
Ben Carson was given another chance. Now he is a world-renowned neurosurgeon who has been used to work miracles in the lives of countless people.
Jonah was given another chance...and all of the people of Nineveh were spared and God received the glory.
The Bible is full of "another chance" stories...Jacob, David, Samson...Simon Peter? Not once, but three times he denied even knowing Jesus...but thankfully his friend, his Savior, gave him another chance.
So, when should I give up on a wayward child?
Never.
What child is worth another chance?
All of them.
Of course, this doesn't mean that we don't discipline. This doesn't mean that the guilty don't suffer the consequences of their actions. But it is not our right or our burden to give up on any child. That burden relies solely on the shoulders and in the hands of God the Father.
If we claim to be Believers of the Lord Jesus Christ, we should be actively looking for opportunities for redemption. After all, we ourselves were redeemed for God's glory. What better way to glorify God than by showing forgiveness and love to the unlovable?
Who knows? Maybe the child to whom we give another chance is the next Charles Spurgeon...or Abraham Lincoln...or the father of your grandchildren.
P.S. Thank you, Coach Carter, for changing many children's lives by giving them another chance. Thank you for changing mine and Trey's by reminding us that no one is past the point of redemption.
A dear friend of mine gave her husband another chance after he was unfaithful. Now their marriage is a testament to the grace of God with 3 precious children. They are serving God in a local church and connecting with men and women who desperately need forgiveness and who desperately need to forgive.
Ben Carson was given another chance. Now he is a world-renowned neurosurgeon who has been used to work miracles in the lives of countless people.
Jonah was given another chance...and all of the people of Nineveh were spared and God received the glory.
The Bible is full of "another chance" stories...Jacob, David, Samson...Simon Peter? Not once, but three times he denied even knowing Jesus...but thankfully his friend, his Savior, gave him another chance.
So, when should I give up on a wayward child?
Never.
What child is worth another chance?
All of them.
Of course, this doesn't mean that we don't discipline. This doesn't mean that the guilty don't suffer the consequences of their actions. But it is not our right or our burden to give up on any child. That burden relies solely on the shoulders and in the hands of God the Father.
If we claim to be Believers of the Lord Jesus Christ, we should be actively looking for opportunities for redemption. After all, we ourselves were redeemed for God's glory. What better way to glorify God than by showing forgiveness and love to the unlovable?
Who knows? Maybe the child to whom we give another chance is the next Charles Spurgeon...or Abraham Lincoln...or the father of your grandchildren.
P.S. Thank you, Coach Carter, for changing many children's lives by giving them another chance. Thank you for changing mine and Trey's by reminding us that no one is past the point of redemption.
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