Your Child Is Not Your Asset, But God’s Asset
“That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.”
— Genesis 2:24 (NIV)
A Truth That Changes How We Parent
As parents, it’s easy to feel like our children are ours. We care for them, sacrifice for them, love them with a depth we didn’t even know we had. It feels natural to hold on tight — to protect, to provide, and sometimes, to cling. But Scripture gently reminds us: our children ultimately belong to God, not us.
One Day, They Will Leave
Genesis 2:24 sets the tone for what’s to come — “a man leaves his father and mother…” One day, our sons and daughters will grow up, leave our homes, and start families of their own. It’s not abandonment. It’s design. God made it this way.
And if we truly believe that, it will change how we parent.
You’re Raising Them to Release Them
We don’t raise our children to keep them for ourselves. We raise them to send them — to release them with strength and love into the purpose God has for their lives. Parenting is a stewardship, not an ownership. We are not building little replicas of ourselves, or future caretakers for when we grow old — though with God’s grace, they may lovingly support us in those later years. We are raising future disciples, leaders, husbands, wives, and kingdom builders.
A Posture of Trust, Not Control
When we see our children as God’s — on loan to us for a season — our posture softens. We parent not with control, but with intention. Not with fear, but with trust. We train their hearts, we guide their paths, and we prepare to let go with peace.
Welcoming the Next Season with Grace
And here’s something important: when that moment comes — when your child chooses a spouse and forms a new family — you won’t see their other half as an outsider. You won’t grip tightly to what was, or feel threatened by what’s new. You’ll bless it. You’ll welcome it. Because you were never raising your child to keep them close forever — you were raising them to love well, to leave well, and to cleave well, just as God intended.
Faithful Guides, Not Owners
So if you’re in the early years, the teen years, or already facing the quiet of a grown-up child’s room — remember this: your child is not your asset. Your child is God’s. And what an honor it is to be part of their journey — not as an owner, but as a faithful guide.
Let’s hold them close, but hold them open. And trust the same God who gave them to us, to lead them where they’re meant to go.
