31 INSTILLING PURPOSE IN CHILDREN PREPARES
THEM FOR TRIALS, TESTS, AND TRIBULATION.

Are you problem-focused or purpose-focused?

Problem-focused parents always concentrate on the child’s problems. They constantly worry about the child’s attitudes and behaviors. They suffer great anxiety over a child’s performance in sports and in school. Anything a child does or says that falls the least bit short of their expectations becomes a crisis for the problem-focused parent.

On the other hand, the purposed-focused parent knows that trials, tests, and tribulations are just passages to the next level of prosperity and success in a child’s life. The light afflictions of life simply work a greater glory in our lives and our children.

Mountains that we climb together are not the problems. They are the means for strengthening us for the next climb. Jesus reminds us that only a tiny amount of faith—which means trust is needed to move mountains. A bond of trust is built between a parent and a child who know God’s purpose for their lives.

Purpose sees through the trials to the victory. Purpose understands that tests are simply opportunities to pass through to a higher level. And tribulations are merely workouts that strengthen us for the weight of glory that we will bear. When a child sees a victorious, overcoming, ever-growing, stronger parent pushing through with them on purpose, that child will grow in purpose to a place where theire on-purpose, God-given plans will push them through from one breakthrough in life to the next.

Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal (2 Cor. 4:16–18).