4. Focus Elsewhere

Slide 4 of 4

The enemy of our souls would love for a stepchild’s rejection to provoke discouragement, depression, retaliation, and resentment in a stepparent. And for this stepmom—it worked. “I told my husband, if I can’t be the grandma, then he can’t be the grandpa. They either include me and let me spend time with the baby, or they don’t get him as the grandpa,” she shared.

God says that vengeance is his alone. Instead, we have the Holy Spirit‘s strength to give us the mind of Christ when we have been wounded by another. Hurtful thoughts will come, and it’s crucial to take them captive and force the mind to focus on something that is a blessing or holy. If we dwell and ruminate over the rejection, we will be tempted to respond like this woman did.

To clarify, this doesn’t mean we should ignore rude, cruel, or abusive behavior from a stepchild. Love does not mean ignoring, dismissing, or tolerating sin. Stepparents may need to set healthy and holy boundaries to protect themselves from the evil arrows of a disgruntled stepchild. God does not expect, or desire, for us to stand in the line of fire when a person is spewing hate towards us. It’s wise to step away and take shelter. Jesus said no to people all the time. However, many of us have not learned how to set boundaries in a godly manner. This will be the perfect time to learn.

Stepparenting isn’t for the faint of heart, and it’s not for the weak in Christ, either. However, God is more than willing to give any stepparent the ability to respond and dwell above the pain. We never know what relationships God is using for His glory. Trusting Him with the results is the way to find peace.