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If there's one thing I've learned since becoming a mother it is that we can't be a mother without abiding in Christ. I can't get through a day without losing my temper, being impatient, grouchy, selfish, or discontent! In fact, I can take this a step farther. It seems to me that things just fall into place if I give place to the Lord - First place to the Lord! The house seems to stay neater, the kids get along better, my meals taste better...or maybe it's just that I have a better attitude about it all? I don't know. But I do know that days {life} go smoother when I read my Bible.
Psalm 55:17 ~ Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice.
Acts 17:11 ~ These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.
John 15:7 ~ If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
Sometimes as a mom it's hard to find the time to breath, use the bathroom, or take a shower, let alone read your Bible for an hour! You know when taking a shower is the one "luxury" you "allow" yourself... When you're so busy and so tired you forget to eat and can't remember the baby's name. {I did that a couple of times with my last kid! I had to write her name down and put it on the refrigerator! Pretty bad, huh?}
Here's what I did: Find a devotion book that deals with one verse a day. Just a single little "nugget". You can read it while you're nursing and think about it throughout the day. You can write it down and put it on the refrigerator {beside the paper with your baby's name on it} and then you can see it and try to memorize it every time you see it that day. Meditating and memorizing Scripture is a great way to "abide" in Christ throughout the day!
If we abide in Christ, He promised to answer all of our prayers! Which brings me to my next point....
If we abide in Christ, He promised to answer all of our prayers! Which brings me to my next point....
B ~ Be a Prayer Warrior
Prayer is one of the most important tools we have in our arsenal! We can discipline when the outward actions are wrong. We can encourage when a child seems to be discouraged. We can do everything we know to do, but if we don't do it in His power, we won't get the job done. We must pray for God's power!
We would all agree that a child should not be allowed to run wild. We would all agree that a whining child should be given the opposite of what he's whining for! But sometimes a child may do things that we don't know how to respond to. We don't know what the child is hoping to gain from his actions. The actions can't be allowed to continue. What do we do? PRAY! Ask God to help you and He will. He will give you new ideas and parent your child's heart in ways that you cannot do.
One of my biggest fears is that I will not see a heart issue or bad attitude in my child until it is too late. I don't know their thoughts. I don't know the innermost desires of their hearts. But God does! I pray all the time that God will protect them from wickedness and that they will be caught when they are involved in it. I pray that God will parent them and lead them and that they will follow His gentle prodding and do things His way. God can parent my child far better than I can! There have been a few times when I saw things I couldn't even put my finger on, yet I could still see that there was a problem in the making. I didn't know what to do about it. I really, didn't even know the problem it's self, but I prayed and the problems seemed to dissolve themselves. That was God working in the lives of my children, doing what I cannot do! Only God can get to the heart of the matter!
Prayer is one of the most important tools we have in our arsenal! We can discipline when the outward actions are wrong. We can encourage when a child seems to be discouraged. We can do everything we know to do, but if we don't do it in His power, we won't get the job done. We must pray for God's power!
We would all agree that a child should not be allowed to run wild. We would all agree that a whining child should be given the opposite of what he's whining for! But sometimes a child may do things that we don't know how to respond to. We don't know what the child is hoping to gain from his actions. The actions can't be allowed to continue. What do we do? PRAY! Ask God to help you and He will. He will give you new ideas and parent your child's heart in ways that you cannot do.
One of my biggest fears is that I will not see a heart issue or bad attitude in my child until it is too late. I don't know their thoughts. I don't know the innermost desires of their hearts. But God does! I pray all the time that God will protect them from wickedness and that they will be caught when they are involved in it. I pray that God will parent them and lead them and that they will follow His gentle prodding and do things His way. God can parent my child far better than I can! There have been a few times when I saw things I couldn't even put my finger on, yet I could still see that there was a problem in the making. I didn't know what to do about it. I really, didn't even know the problem it's self, but I prayed and the problems seemed to dissolve themselves. That was God working in the lives of my children, doing what I cannot do! Only God can get to the heart of the matter!
C ~ Consistency
This one is definitely the scariest one in my opinion! It's so hard to be consistent when you're tired and you just want to pretend you didn't notice your child do this or that. It's so hard not to laugh sometimes when they do naughty things that should be rebuked and yet, in a strange way, they are so funny. Consistency is certainly my weak point! I must consistantly remind myself to be consistant. In the long r
Some verses that deal with child rearing:
- Proverbs 13:24
- Proverbs 22:6; 15
- Proverbs 23:13-14; 26
- Proverbs 29:15; 17
Galatians 3:24 ~ Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
Discipline, in a sense, can be compared to this schoolmaster. Just as God used the law to show us how sinful we are {how would we know without something to compare ourselves to?} consistent, loving discipline serves to teach our children that they are sinners.
Children need to realize that they are sinful. They are on their way to hell. They need to understand this. Proverbs 23: 13 -14 ~ Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die. Thou shalt deliver his soul from hell.
D ~ Dad Should be Respected
Dad is the head of the home. Mom is to respect and submit to Dad. Not because Mom is stupid or any less of a person, but because Dad was made in God's image and Dad is responsible for his family. You've heard it said, "anything with two heads is a monster". The same goes with the family. Someone has to lead. God's divine pattern is that the home be organized with Dad in charge.
If you don't respect and submit to your husband, you can bet your children won't either. When my children start to get an attitude toward me or their dad {or other God-given authority) I try to examine my own heart and attitude. Are they acting like that because they've seen me act that way? If so, I need to change a few things! We all go through seasons. We all need to be reminded of certain things and certain issues every once in a while. Much of the time it is the actions of my children that remind me of this. If I notice a haughty spirit or a self righteous comment, I look at my own heart.
Proverbs 23: 24 - 26 ~ The father of the righteous shall greatly rejoice: and he that begetteth a wise child shall have joy of him. Thy father and they mother shall be glad, and she that bare thee shall rejoice. My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways.
"More is caught than taught in the home!" Such a true statement! Sometimes I feel like I'm looking in a mirror when I look at my children. Are they self-righteous? {I hope not! That's my pet peeve!} Are they rebellious, self-centered, rude, or impatient? Perhaps they are imitating ME? They are observing us. They are wanting to be like us. {YIKES} They are planning and preparing for life as an adult. Even at an early age...especially at an early age! Most training is done before the age of 4 years old. Whether we like it or not, our children are watching us. They are looking to us to show them the way! Obey their daddy and they will obey you and follow your example. Respect their daddy and they will too. Love the Lord and worship Him in the beauty of Holiness and, with lots of prayer, they will follow suit and do the same!
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