Single Parenting

While God’s intention is for children to be raised by both a mother and a father, in this sin tainted world many parents are, for a variety of reasons raising a child/children on his or her own. God’s instructions about parenting apply equally to the single and to the married (Eph 6:4; Col 3:21). All parents should model purity, honour, and honesty before their children, which will help those children emulate that desirable behaviour.

Despite how lonely and overwhelmed by life's challenges single parenting may be at times, those who know the Lord can take comfort in remembering that they are never alone and are instructed to cast their anxiety on the Lord because He cares for them (Mt 28:20; 1 Pet 5:7). Single parents can rest in the promise that God’s grace will fill in

Call on God's help

the gaps as He helps them raise their children, being a father to the fatherless and a defender of widows and orphans (Ps 27:10, 68:5).

All children, but especially boys, need wise men in their lives who support, encourage, affirm, and model for them the way a man should live. While Western culture has become a fatherless realm with some disastrous consequences, fathers who invest time, converse with, provide loving guidance and fairly discipline their children are helping secure a healthy future for them.

Single parents must not allow any bitterness to give vent in criticising or belittle the children's other parent. We all should all endeavour to "not let any unwholesome talk come out of our mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen” (Eph 4:29).

Endeavour to have a healthy network of friends for support and so your child/children are not socially disadvantaged. Although you feel the pain of shame, brokenness and want to isolate there is emotion healing through interacting with genuine fellow believers, who do not rehearse the unfairness of life but together encourage each other in the Lord and build one another up in Christ and come into increasing wholeness in Him (1 Sam 30:6; Rom 1:12; 1 Thes 5:11).