Taking time to think of all of what it means to have a daughter in my life.
I realize I have only just begun to know my Hope. She is 3, and a second child. I only wish I could pour into her life as I did when I had only 1 kid.
Here’s what I do know:
She is girly to the max.
She craves my attention always.
She loves music and puppies and babies.
More often than not, she is in the playroom, and asking me to join.
Sometimes, I stop my progress in cleaning, cooking, or reading to just BE with her.
She loves quality time with her mama.
When I am getting myself ready, there is a good chance that she is up in our bedroom as well, rummaging through the treasure trove of my nightstand drawer. There, she finds my bracelets and necklaces to layer on.
She can’t help herself ☺️.
I look at the way she carries a load of jewelry in her hand and the thought has occurred to me that I relish the idea that she may one day, search the treasure trove of qualities that God’s spirit has formed inside of me. Maybe along with reaching for my bracelets and necklaces, she will look to my spirit of compassion or peacemaking or patience to don on herself.
Although she does not have a perfect mom, she has a mom who loves Jesus and has tried to clothe herself in the fruits of the Spirit regularly. Galatians 5:22 says, “The fruits of the spirit are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control.” Maybe you hope this for your children, too. We all want them to take after our better attributes after all...
May she also know she is prayed for daily. What a blessing to be able to give our children the safety net of prayer for all the big and little things in their lives. Every morning, I reassure my kids that I have already prayed for them, or I pray aloud in the car as we drive. The chance to make prayer and faith as accessible and easy as possible seems to me, the most authentic way to live out our relationship with God. Kids don’t know what they don’t see or talk about. And, if we can be anything, we need to be intentional in our faith-building.
Moms, we need to speak of Jesus on their level. We need to thank God on their level. Eventually, they will see that God meets them where they are, and will hear them when they pray, no matter what the issue or what their age may be. They will get to know a personal God who loves them because you were the conduit of His love.
John Piper, American pastor and author, spoke of parenting in faith, and his words are so simple and profound (and, I adore all of his writing).
1) In general, bringing up children God’s way will lead them to eternal life. In general, that is true.
2)This reality would include putting our hope in God and praying earnestly for our wisdom and for their salvation all the way to the grave. Don’t just pray until they get converted at age 6. Pray all the way to the grave for your children’s conversions and for the perseverance of their apparent conversions.
3) Saturate them with the Word of God. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God (Romans 10:17).
4) Be radically consistent and authentic in your own faith — not just in behavior, but in affections. Kids need to see how precious Jesus is to mom and dad, not just how he is obeyed or how they get to church or how they read devotions or how they do duty, duty, duty. They need to see the joy and the satisfaction in mom and dad’s heart that Jesus is the greatest friend in the world.
5) Model the preciousness of the gospel. As we parents confess our own sins and depend on grace, our kids will say, “Oh, you don’t have to be perfect. Mom and dad aren’t perfect. They love grace. They love the gospel because Jesus forgives their sins. And I will know then he can forgive my sins.”
6) Be part of a Bible-saturated, loving church. Kids need to be surrounded by other believers and not just mom and dad.
7) Require obedience. Do not be lazy. There are so many young parents today that appear so lazy. They are not willing to get up and do what needs to be done to bring this kid into line. So we should follow through on our punishments and follow through especially on all of our promises of good things that we say we are going to do for them.
8) God saves children out of failed and unbelieving parenting. God is sovereign. We aren’t the ones, finally, who save our kids. God saves kids and there would hardly be any Christians in the world if he didn’t save them out of failed families.
9) Rest in the sovereignty of God over your children. We cannot bear the weight of their eternity. That is God’s business and we must roll all of that onto him.
Being a mom is no easy task. Being a Mom who is a Christ-follower, is even harder. It takes intention. It takes devotion. But it doesn’t mean perfection. The key is to allow our little girls (and boys) to see a pursuit.
May your children know the love of a mom with authentic faith, and the joy of the Lord. May they bless their own children someday with the same because of what you have modeled at home... I know my mom was that model for me. Thanks, Mom. ❤️
Happy Mother’s Day, all! 🌸🌷
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