Effective 5/1/2024, this website will be redirecting tohttps://aurm.co.za/

More from Bongi Argyrou

January 21, 2025 by Bongi Argyrou (Gauteng, South Africa)

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. — John 14:27 (NIV)

I have found that nothing gives me anxiety more than parenting. There is so much parents can’t control, from the choices our children make to the people they become. I usually say to my children, “No matter how much I love you, I cannot take you to heaven with me. Unless you choose Jesus for yourself, you can’t go to heaven and spend eternity with him. He also wants a personal relationship with you, so you have to spend time with him.” This is one of the things that often takes away our peace: where our children will end up or what will become of them.

During the time when our son was biting, hitting, and struggling, we went to an educational psychologist. When she told us our son is gifted, I felt so blessed, and at the same time I felt ill-equipped to raise a gifted child. Maybe because the psychologist also explained a whole lot of struggles that come with our son’s gift. She said he would struggle to make friends and find a spouse and that he basically won’t fit into society.

Fear gripped my heart, and I saw a lot of ways his life could go wrong. I remember praying in my heart and breaking her words over him, trying to think of scriptures to help our family through this—but nothing was coming. We got home and told him God has given him a gift and wants to use it for his glory. We told him about all the gifted people God has used to change the course of history.

That night I broke down in tears thinking, “How are we going to navigate this?” and “How do we prepare him for the world?” My husband held me in silence on the downstairs bathroom floor, so the kids couldn’t hear. All I could think of was, ”Lord, you made him and you know why.” I needed to truly understand the meaning of John 14:27, accept God’s peace, and not let my heart be troubled—even though our circumstances have not changed—and let God’s peace change me as a person and as a mom.

Only after a while, the Lord reminded me that, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows” (Jas. 1:17). And this added to my peace: God gave my son the gift and knows how to use it.

His peace defeated the anxiety and fear of everything going wrong in his life and our fears of raising him wrong. It reminded us that God’s word and values are how we should raise our children, to equip them for whatever challenges may come their way. The Lord’s peace within us helps us focus on who God is and how God is actually the one who raises our kids. We just facilitate and communicate God’s heart with them. Without God’s peace, we would be trapped in a world of uncertainty, but we know the keeper of peace keeps us and our children.

Our son is doing well and making friends. It’s not always easy, but he is growing, healthy, and exploring the gift God gave him to learn and find the things God has called him to be. Right now, it’s to be a 12-year-old boy who loves Jesus.


33 Comments
Log In to leave a comment

About The Upper Room Devotional

The mission of The Upper Room daily devotional guide is to provide a practical way to listen to scripture, connect with believers around the world, and spend time with God each day. Read more about The Upper Room here.

Learn more

Order your subscription today at Store.UpperRoom.org.

Image by: Guy MOLL