The Corona Survival Guide For ParentsSample

Seek God’s kingdom first

Do you ever pay attention to the airline employees when they’re giving their classic pre-flight speech? You know, the one about how to buckle your seatbelt and use your seat cushion as a flotation device?

You should, especially if you’re a parent trying to survive the coronavirus.

According to the airline’s instructions, if the oxygen masks drop down, parents are ordered to put theirs on first, even before their children. That doesn’t feel like the right thing, since we would gladly sacrifice for the sake of our kids, but it is the right thing. Airlines know that oxygen-deprived parents will pass out and leave their little ones defenseless.

I think you should remember that these days, because the airplane people stole that wisdom from Jesus.

In Matthew chapter 6, Jesus was trying to convince his friends not to worry about life. Don’t feel anxious about food or clothing or anything else because you have a loving Father who knows exactly what you need. So instead of scrambling to fix everything, what did Jesus tell his friends to do? “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness” (Matthew 6:33).

That’s life-saving wisdom for parents. We’re so worried about our kids that we often “seek first” their kingdom. We fret so much over their reading skills, their piano lessons, their jump shots, their playdates, their sugar intake, and their test scores that we run out of time in our days. In the midst of the coronavirus, add to that our worries about social distancing, virtual learning, cancelled sports seasons, uncertain graduation plans, and a thousand other things.

The sad result of seeking our kids’ well-being first, however, is that we end up overwhelmed, stressed out, and snippy at our family. They don’t end up any better. Neither do we.

So take Jesus’ advice—Seek first God’s kingdom. God’s kingdom is the place where God is King. It’s where God uses all of his power and love to protect his people from their spiritual enemies. It’s where you can hide behind the well-guarded walls of the kingdom and breathe in peace. Practically, to seek God’s kingdom means to meditate on his truth, such as . . .

God is with me right now (Matthew 28:20).

God’s Son died so that I would always be loved (Romans 5:8).

God’s Spirit lives in my heart and empowers me to do what needs to get done (2 Timothy 1:7).

God has promised to listen to every prayer I pray in Jesus’ name (James 5:16).

God has plans for my life, even during the coronavirus (Jeremiah 29:11).

How do we seek that kingdom “first”? By putting on our spiritual oxygen masks before we worry about our kids. By spending time with our Father in his Word.

I know that’s not easy, especially if you have little ones at home. It may require an earlier start to the day to read your Bible, a prayer walk in the driveway to think about a promise from Jesus, or a night with less Amazon Prime so there’s more time for Paul’s letters. But those moments will fill you up, empower you, and equip you for another day of parenting those precious kids.

So seek first the kingdom of God, and you will have nothing to worry about. 

And neither will your kids.