Parenting. There is no one word to explain it. I feel honored that God has chose me to parent these two wonderfully and fearfully made creatures. The Lord has brought joy to my heart through my kids on days where joy was hard to find. They inspire me to be a better person when I feel I have no inspiration. I love watching them learn, play, sleep, breath, and grow. Challenges naturally come with being a parent. Not merely the sacrifices made as parents, but challenges of being a godly example for them and guiding them daily to the cross.
This week, Alisia was scrambling to do some homework that she put off all last week. I guess it's called procrastination which runs in the family! However, we wanted to prevent this from continuing to happen so we punished her. For her, just knowing that we are upset with her is usually punishment enough. But this time, she got privileges removed to make her focus on school work. It was a hard evening. Studying was hard for her since she was so upset. Bedtime prayers were said. Hugs and kisses given.
Yesterday all day I felt guilty for punishing her. I want her to always know how much we love her. I hate having to discipline. Why does that have to be a part of parenting? Maybe it was so hard for me because I know I struggle with the same thing. It made me really think about how God must feel when we have to be corrected..or disciplined. It's not something he takes delight in, but is an essential part of growing our godly character.
Yesterday, Alisia came home from school and kind of thanked us for making her study cause she got a 100%. She was completely fine. She was actually happy, even though she's still punished, because she could see that it was for a good reason.
Oh how I long for my children to grow into godly young adults who walk daily with Him. Discipline is part of building godly character. I never understood my parents saying "This hurts me more than it hurts you" and "you'll understand one day when you have kids." Yeah right. I just thought that was their way of saying sorry for spanking. If parenting was purely about the joys and beauty, we wouldn't have the desperate need to seek God daily. Discipline in itself should be used as a means to point children to the cross. It is a necessary part of parenting to remind us, as parents, of our desperate need for Christ and his forgiveness. It not only points them to the cross, it points us back to the cross. Parenting isn't about our children, or us as parents, or even our individual family, but it's ultimately about God calling us and our children to glorify Him. Children need to see first hand a godly model of their parents seeking to follow God. When we fail as parents, little eyes are often there to see. We must remember that God is faithful to work in the lives of our children. Be thankful for these "trying moments" as a reminder of how God is constantly at work to redeem and restore His people. We serve a faithful and gracious God who loves and cares for our children even more than we do.
I am so thankful for God providing a godly example through my own parents. My parents chose to daily to seek God and his will for their life. I am greatful for their prayers. Even today, they never take the credit for who we are. They just continue to pray and praise God.
This is book serves as a great resource as you seek to glorify God in parenting. It's even available in Spanish. We have both copies if anyone wants to borrow them.May we "Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints." Eph 6:17-18
3 comments:
I didn't think that discipline would be as hard for me as it has been. It too breaks my heart to have to discipline, but it is so comforting to know that we are doing what God has called us to, and such a neat way to understand God and His love for us. I love that book...it has helped me tremendously as I've become a parent.
i'd LOVE to check out that book - i'll have to remember to ask u to let me borrow it when we make plans for a play date soon
AMEN Brooke! Well said! It's so encouraging to hear another mother's heart on this issue. It's often not discussed in case we might step on someone elses toes b/c they may not agree. It certainly is difficult to dicipline, especially when they are as young as Jaron is, but we are all born with sinful hearts and if he is old enough to disobey (and knows that he's disobeying), then he is old enough to be diciplined. I have to remember we're diciplining him or guiding him b/c we love him, not b/c we're mad at him, just as Christ does for us. We are "God's agents" as "Shepherding" puts it. Another book that I might recommend is by Ginger Plowman "Don't Make Me Count to Three." It's much like "Shepherding", but more from a mother's perspective inside the home and deals with more specifics. It's also excellent. Love you.
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