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Answer:
I am very sorry that you are in such a painful
situation. However, I am glad that you are
seeking to follow Christ, and that you are
making the choice to encourage your daughter
in her faith as well.
There
are probably a lot of complexities to your
situation, so if you want to interact more
directly, feel free to contact
me.
First
of all, you must remain clear about your most
important responsibility as a parent...and
that is to impress the heart of your daughter
with a love for God. Nothing is more important
than this. Your modeling and leadership in
bringing her to church with you and praying
and reading the Bible together at home are
critical. As you may know, this is what the
Visionary Parenting series is all about. If
you don't have the audio series, I encourage
you strongly to get it. It will really meet
you where you are an encourage you for the
task ahead.
Second,
continue to pray for your ex-wife. I am sure
she is hurting and has rejected God for many
years due to things she has suffered in her
life. Pray for God to soften her heart to Him.
Third,
do everything you can to talk with your
ex-wife in a loving way about this issue. Let
her know that you feel it is very important
for you and your daughter to focus on issues
of "faith and character" together.
Let her know that you really need her to be
supportive of this, and not antagonistic or
discouraging to your daughter. You are not
asking her to become a Christian, but rather
to be encouraging to the development of faith
in your daughter.
Lastly,
depending on the age of your daughter, you may
need to have a direct conversation with her
about where you and her mother are
spiritually. You will need to do this
respectfully of her mother, but being honest
never the less. If your daughter is old
enough, encourage her to pray for her mom's
heart and relationship with God.
Can
there ever be peace with this issue? I believe
God can bring peace to this...but He may not.
All we can say for sure is that your most
important responsibility in all of life is to
pastor, shepherd, disciple and train the heart
of your daughter to know and love Jesus. That
is your first "great commission."
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