Challenge:
I'm not sure why the Lord laid heavy on my spirit certain conversations I witnessed this past week, but my heart was saddened as I overheard mothers with their children. At the grocery store, the mall, and even at church I heard mothers speak to their children in an aggravated tone over seemingly insignificant things. One mother was upset that her pre-teen daughter had left her coat at school, other mother was upset with her toddler for not wanting to sit in the shopping cart, and at church a mom was scolding her young daughter because she wanted to write on the "wall of Gratitude" to which the mother snapped, "I don't have time for this right now."
I prayed that these mothers would "watch their words" towards their children in light of last week's challenge, but what hurt my heart the most in these examples is that it seemed that the mothers were upset with their child for selfish reasons. One mother was irritated she had to make an extra trip back to the school, another annoyed because of her extremely active tot, and the other simply didn't have time for her daughter to write down what she is thankful for. At the root of each mother's scolding was frustration. Not at the child or what the child had done, but more in regards to how their child had inconvenienced their own plans.
We are selfish people by nature, myself very much included, and as mothers when our sleep is disrupted, when milk is spilled on the floor, when yogurt is smeared in hair, when that valuable vase is broken, when the science project is forgotten about until the night before, when those new (expensive) jeans get a stain, when a cell phone is misplaced, when they get can't get a ride home and you have to drop what you're doing to pick them up, when a sick day for them means lost vacation time at work for you, when (fill in the blank). The question isn't what are our children going to do that might change our plans or interrupt our day, but instead it is how are we going to respond when their actions reverse, halt, and complicate our plans?
While it is important that we teach our kids to be responsible, to think of others above themselves, and to obey first time... we must have grace with our children. We must never get upset that our children make our lives harder. Instead, we need to look at those moments and use them to edify us. I think about Ananias in the Bible whose plans were interrupted when the Lord asked him to go tend to Saul. He didn't want to, he was afraid, and yet instead of being selfish... he obeyed and thus played a significant role in Saul's conversion to Paul (Acts 9). Are we open to having the Lord interrupt the plans we make for ourselves through our children? Can we be so brave as to ask the Lord to change us through them? Let's use those moments when we are running late, when we have to take a sick day, when we have to mop the floor for the 12th time in an hour to make us more Christ like. To give us a servants heart. To ingrain into our souls what it means to put others before ourselves. To truly live as Jesus did. We must cling to the truth that children, from the moment they are placed into our families (through conception or adoption), are blessings - lives that are ordained by the Lord and filled with great purpose. Perhaps one of those purposes is to make us, as parents, more selfless. My challenge, this week, is to view those moments when my day doesn't go as planned as opportunities to thank the Lord for the privilege of being a mother (a role some women would gladly give their right arm for) and then put to death the idols of me time/sleep time/career time/I have the day planned out perfectly time/etc. in order to use each of moment of the day to become less selfish, more flexible, and incredibly grace filled.
Jesus, I pray that You would give me the strength I need to face each trying, frustrating, messy, and unplanned moment with the grace You demonstrated when You lived on this earth. I pray You would use my precious children to help me not look only towards my own interests, but also the interests of others - especially theirs (Philippians 2:4). Help me overcome my flesh and implant in me a selfless heart. Remind me to show my children grace daily just as you show me grace daily. May I delight in the challenges they bring and use those times to become more like You. Amen.
Prayer:
Father God, we know that lying is Satan's native tongue (John 8:44) and so I pray that my children will live lives that are the complete opposite of his influence. May my children always tell the whole truth - even when it is difficult. I pray that they would not give into white lies or partial truths. Instead, enable them to understand that You always want them to be truthful (Exodus 20:16). May they rely on You to give them the strength to continually speak the truth (Ephesians 4:25). Weave the power of being truthful into their souls so that they will be faithful in keeping their tongues from evil and their lips from speaking lies (Psalm 34:13). I pray in the name of Jesus that my children will be honest men and women who give You glory in all they say. Amen.
I'm not sure why the Lord laid heavy on my spirit certain conversations I witnessed this past week, but my heart was saddened as I overheard mothers with their children. At the grocery store, the mall, and even at church I heard mothers speak to their children in an aggravated tone over seemingly insignificant things. One mother was upset that her pre-teen daughter had left her coat at school, other mother was upset with her toddler for not wanting to sit in the shopping cart, and at church a mom was scolding her young daughter because she wanted to write on the "wall of Gratitude" to which the mother snapped, "I don't have time for this right now."
I prayed that these mothers would "watch their words" towards their children in light of last week's challenge, but what hurt my heart the most in these examples is that it seemed that the mothers were upset with their child for selfish reasons. One mother was irritated she had to make an extra trip back to the school, another annoyed because of her extremely active tot, and the other simply didn't have time for her daughter to write down what she is thankful for. At the root of each mother's scolding was frustration. Not at the child or what the child had done, but more in regards to how their child had inconvenienced their own plans.
We are selfish people by nature, myself very much included, and as mothers when our sleep is disrupted, when milk is spilled on the floor, when yogurt is smeared in hair, when that valuable vase is broken, when the science project is forgotten about until the night before, when those new (expensive) jeans get a stain, when a cell phone is misplaced, when they get can't get a ride home and you have to drop what you're doing to pick them up, when a sick day for them means lost vacation time at work for you, when (fill in the blank). The question isn't what are our children going to do that might change our plans or interrupt our day, but instead it is how are we going to respond when their actions reverse, halt, and complicate our plans?
While it is important that we teach our kids to be responsible, to think of others above themselves, and to obey first time... we must have grace with our children. We must never get upset that our children make our lives harder. Instead, we need to look at those moments and use them to edify us. I think about Ananias in the Bible whose plans were interrupted when the Lord asked him to go tend to Saul. He didn't want to, he was afraid, and yet instead of being selfish... he obeyed and thus played a significant role in Saul's conversion to Paul (Acts 9). Are we open to having the Lord interrupt the plans we make for ourselves through our children? Can we be so brave as to ask the Lord to change us through them? Let's use those moments when we are running late, when we have to take a sick day, when we have to mop the floor for the 12th time in an hour to make us more Christ like. To give us a servants heart. To ingrain into our souls what it means to put others before ourselves. To truly live as Jesus did. We must cling to the truth that children, from the moment they are placed into our families (through conception or adoption), are blessings - lives that are ordained by the Lord and filled with great purpose. Perhaps one of those purposes is to make us, as parents, more selfless. My challenge, this week, is to view those moments when my day doesn't go as planned as opportunities to thank the Lord for the privilege of being a mother (a role some women would gladly give their right arm for) and then put to death the idols of me time/sleep time/career time/I have the day planned out perfectly time/etc. in order to use each of moment of the day to become less selfish, more flexible, and incredibly grace filled.
Jesus, I pray that You would give me the strength I need to face each trying, frustrating, messy, and unplanned moment with the grace You demonstrated when You lived on this earth. I pray You would use my precious children to help me not look only towards my own interests, but also the interests of others - especially theirs (Philippians 2:4). Help me overcome my flesh and implant in me a selfless heart. Remind me to show my children grace daily just as you show me grace daily. May I delight in the challenges they bring and use those times to become more like You. Amen.
Prayer:
Father God, we know that lying is Satan's native tongue (John 8:44) and so I pray that my children will live lives that are the complete opposite of his influence. May my children always tell the whole truth - even when it is difficult. I pray that they would not give into white lies or partial truths. Instead, enable them to understand that You always want them to be truthful (Exodus 20:16). May they rely on You to give them the strength to continually speak the truth (Ephesians 4:25). Weave the power of being truthful into their souls so that they will be faithful in keeping their tongues from evil and their lips from speaking lies (Psalm 34:13). I pray in the name of Jesus that my children will be honest men and women who give You glory in all they say. Amen.
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