Desiring God for my Children

I don't know about you, but sometime I feel so inadequate.  I want to be the best mother that I can be.  I want to give my children every oppertunity to learn and have fun.  I want to provide them with lessons and knowledge that they will need and use later in life.  There's so much more to "mothering" than simply feeding, dressing and nursing them.  The one thing I worry about and pray for the most is their heart condition. 

You see, I can teach them the Bible all day long.  I can pound rules and "standards" down their throats until the cows come home.  (whenever that is...)  I can train them to behave themselves in public, but if I don't get their hearts; if they don't have a sincere desire to do right, then I have failed. Rules and regulations don't make a good christian.  Love of God and a sincere desire to make Him happy makes a good Christian.  Don't get me wrong.  Standards are a good thing, and I plan on teaching my children a few, but I'd rather my children love God with all their hearts than grow up to think they are "spiritual" because they do or don't do certain things. 

I John 3:22-23 ~ And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.  And this is his commandment, that we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.

Two things are commanded of us here.  1) We are to become Christians; we are to believe on the name of the Lord, Jesus Christ.  and 2)  we are to love one another. (Which should happen naturally after we are saved.)

THIS is my desire for my children.  That they trust Christ and love Him and His people the way He does.  But, how do we get them to the place where they want or desire a life that pleases Christ for themselves?  Now, they are young and they do what they do because I make them.  But when they are grown and making their own decisions...what then?  Will they want to get away from me so they can "relax"?  Or will they love living the Christian life and decide to do it because it's the right thing to do?  Because it makes their Creator happy? 

There are so many things I want to teach them, but I can't.  They must decide on their own to serve God or to do their own thing.  It's an individual choice and not one I can make for them.  So, what can we, as mothers, do to help them make those right decisions? 

1) "More is caught than taught in the home" is a quote that we heard quite often in Bible college.  I think we can live the example before them.  We can try to live with a happy heart and right spirit and simply please God (not other people) with our own lives.  When we please God all these other things fall into place.

2) We can keep them in church where they will hear the teaching and preaching of the Word of God on a regular basis.  We can help them memorize Scripture.  We can teach them songs of the Faith.  The Bible says in Romans 10:17, "Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God."  And in John 17:17 it says, "Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth". 

3)  We can pray for them.  John 14:13-14 says, "And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.  If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it".  I can insist that they go to church and memorize Bible verses, but if God, Himself doesn't get a hold on them; if they don't allow Him to guide them, there is little else I can do for them...except pray. 

I know that any mother who loves her children and her Saviour prays for her children, but I would highly recommend fasting.  If you have certain health conditions or are expecting, and you can't go without food for long periods of time, you can go a different route.  Fasting is simply a heart condition before you and God and no one else.  When God sees your heart and knows that your are willing to go without something that you love in order to obtain something that you want MORE...He respects that. 

And what better thing than to have our children "walk in Truth"?  I can't think of a better thing!  And besides, if our children truly have a desire to love and walk with God, than all those other rules and "standards" will fall into place!  There's not allot more to this Christian life than loving God and loving people!  ...this is my prayer for my children.