The worry cuts deep, gnaws right into me as I rock my baby girl to sleep tonight. The world is unsettled. There are bombings taking place all over, an important presidential election looming in the future, and so many frightening cultural changes occurring in my own backyard. I pray as we rock, something I find myself doing more and more of lately.

“What kind of world will she grow up in, Lord?” I whisper. “I want a good life for her. I want her to be safe. I want her to be free.”

Isn’t that what we all want for our little ones?

But even as the words escape my lips, I realize how misguided they are. Certainly, I want good things for my daughter. Certainly, I should and will do everything in my power to give her those good things, to protect her from danger, to show her the beauty of the world God has given us.

But ultimately? My role as a Christian mother is to raise up a mighty soldier for God’s kingdom. The Bible does not promise a safe and happy life for all who believe in Jesus. In fact, it guarantees just the opposite.

“Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.” 2 Timothy 3:12-13

“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” John 16:32-33

I shouldn’t be surprised that the world in which I am raising my daughter is hostile to the Gospel and its followers, because Scripture has guaranteed it. And why is the world hostile to us? Because it was hostile to Christ first.

“If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you.” John 15:18-20

As much as I desire for my daughter to enjoy a secure and pleasant life, I desire even more that she would follow Christ. And according to Jesus, that means that she will be persecuted and hated. My job is not to keep her safe from every danger—a futile effort in this broken world, anyway—but to raise up and shoot out a sharp arrow to pierce the darkness.

So my prayer tonight changes as my desire for her is put back into focus through the lens of Scripture.

“God, I know the world won’t be good to her, because You’ve promised it won’t. I pray, Lord, that You would help me to raise her so that she will be a good witness to the world.”

In Him, Aubrey

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