C.A.C SUNDAY SCHOOL MANUAL FOR  December 5, 2021 LESSON TEN : TOPIC – ORIGIN AND CHALLENGES OF SINGLE – PARENTING

No single parents can do it alone without experiencing series of mental emotional, psychological, social and spiritual traumas. God is the only pillar of strength, comfort and sure hope for single parents. But they must seek Him diligently.

A. GOD’S ATTITUDE TO SINGLE-PARENTING (1 Kgs. 17:10-15; 2 Kgs. 4:1-7; Psa. 68:5)

A father of the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in His holy habitation (Psa. 68:5).

i. Being a single parent is a tough job. While God’s intention was for children to be raised by both a mother and a father, He also has compassion on the parent who is raising a child on his or her own, because He cares for all.

ii. Psa. 68:5: God cares for all, including single parents’ families. He prioritises those who are struggling or feeling broken, and expects His people to have the same attitude. Yet, we can save ourselves all these troubles by avoiding deliberately entering into and being comfortable with single-parenting for any reasons.

iii. God is not the author of single-parenting. Death was caused by man himself in collaboration with our archenemy. Other causes, including divorce, separation, choice, pre-mariral children, etc., are all man-made and definitely avoidable.

iv. If the Lord God of a Israel unequivocally declares that He hates divorce, for it covers one’s garment with violence (Mal. 2:16), what would be His attitude to choosing to remain single parenting children when He knows the implications of such a practice?

v. Going by the fact that God instituted marriage to be a journey of a man and his wife, He cannot be happy with practices such as ‘contract marriage’, now popular in some settings, and those who choose to be happy single parenting children. We need to repent!

vi. God’s attitude is that we avoid everything that can make us deliberately fall into single-parenting, aside death. Even at that, He encourages remarriage for the young widows. However, He has a way of helping those who humbly and repentantly come to Him for help (cf. 2 Chro. 7:14; Psa. 51:17).

vii. Therefore, all must come to Christ early (Eccl. 12:1), fully appropriating His Word (Jn. 8:31; 15:3), and continue in/with Him, in total submission to His will and ways (Amos 3:3).

B. GOD HELPS SINGLE PARENTS (Gen. 16:9-12; 21:14-21; 1 Kgs. 17:10-15; 2 Kgs. 4:1-7)

Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debt; and you and your sons live on the rest” (2 Kgs. 4:7).

i. Gen. 16:10-12. Hagar was to be a surrogate, which was never God’s intent. After the birth of Hagar’s child, God came to Hagar in her distress and let her know that He was with her.

ii. 21:14-18: When all the supplies Abraham gave them were exhausted, God came up again to help. At least, let us agree Hagar was a single parent as long as she wandered in the Wilderness of Beersheba.

iii. vv. 19-21: Who knows what transpired between the time she left the wilderness, hot home, and the child grew up to a marriageable age. We can’t rule out the possibility of God helping her to resettle, being still young then, when she got home to her own people in Egypt.

iv. 1 Kgs. 17:10-15: The widow of Zarephath who could barely provide for herself and her child alone enjoyed God’s uncommon favour (vv. 15-17). He intervenes as the father of the fatherless, a defender of widows (Psa. 68:5).

v. 2 Kgs. 4:1-7: We cannot but mention how He bailed the widow here out. Although God never supports separation, divorce, or any form of putting away, He is always near supports separation, divorce, or any form of putting away, He is always near and open to accept and help the victims who come to Him for repentance and help, as the case may be.

vi. God provides for all (cf. Phil. 4:19). Though He is not the author of single-parenting, God took care of Hagar’s needs as the case arose. He also remembered the widow of Zarephath.

vii. Being a single parent is hard, but God has not forgotten you. He will help you, if you humbly and repentantly come to Him for restoration. He knows how best to do that.

vii. More importantly, any single parent that acknowledges God and looks to Him through our Lord Jesus Christ is a sure recipient of God’s special packages to help single parents (Cf. Jn. 6:37).

1. Although, God never ordains single-parenting, He can always help and re-structure whoever comes to Him, humbly and repentantly.

2. God is always there for those who seek Him; call on Him in your distress, He will come through for you.

1. Mention some causes and challenges of single-parenting.

2. What is God’s attitude towards single-parenting?

Some Causes of Single-parenting

i. The death of a spouse

ii. Sexual immorality or divorce

iii. Deliberate choice – some chose to become single parents and have never had a partner.

iv. Some people are not single parents, but find themselves lone parents (geographic separation due to work, etc.)

v. Several other incidents cause single-parenting, among which are: curse (Prov. 26:2), lack of endurance (1 Sam. 25:25) and lack of vision for the future Ps. 27:13).

Some Challenges of Single-Parenting

* The challenges of single-parenting are multifarious.

* Coping with childbearing for single parents becomes more difficult for various reasons.

* Parenting is challenging under the best of conditions, but with one parent, the challenges are multiplied; and can be captured as below:

– Responsibility overload – when one parent makes all the decisions and provides for all the family needs (I Kgs. 17:12); but God has always come through for single parents, just like He did for the widow of Zarephath ( 1 Kgs. 17:15-16).

– Task overload – when the demands for work, domestic chores, and parenting can be overwhelming for one person.

– Emotional overload – when the single parent must always be available to meet both their own and their children’s emotional needs.

– Alone or in combination, these problems are the results for the single-parent, including loneliness, anxiety, and depression.

God’s Attitude towards Single-Parenting

* God does not support single-parenting and desires that we avoid anything that can make us deliberately fall into single-parenting.

* God frowns at, and judges anyone who wickedly plunges others into the single-parenting world.

* God shows compassion to the parents who is raising a child on his or her own.

* Cares for them and holds them in high regard (Ps. 68:5).

* God turns things around for single-parents in order to rediscover God (1 Kgs. 17:15-17).

* He opens His arms and helps victims of single-parenting (Cp. 2 Kgs. 4:1-7).

The day Adam and Eve disobeyed God and obeyed the Devil was the do humanity had become separated from God. The marriage institution was grievously damaged, to the sadness of God. But the day Jesus Christ was sacrificed on the cross at Calvary was the day humanity was restored to God; and hope for God-patronising marriage was revived. Being with Christ in obedience and humble submission is the only way to start and maintain a godly marriage. Only godly marriage glorifies God and benefits man wholesomely.

We thank the Almighty God for graciously helping us to concluded this lesson on Single-Parenting. We have been able to see that, although, God does not support single-parenting, yet He can help victims who come to Him. It is hoped that we will all determine and pray that God would help us in keeping our marriage intact, not giving room for the Devil; and also being examples to the younger ones coming behind. Peace in your marriage in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Mon. 29: Accept God’s Strength For The Journey (Phil. 4:12-13)

Tue. 30: God Guides Single Parens Also (Isa. 30:21)

Wed. 1: Soothing Word Lifts Love And Protection (Psa. 3:3-6)

Thur. 2: Rest In God’s Love And Protection (Psa. 3:3-6)

Fri. 3: Divine Strength For Single Parents (Mk. 10:27)

Sat. 4: Worry Not; God Cares For You (Matt. 6:25-27)