Leading Me

As a mom, my life takes twists and turns that can sometimes be predicted, but for the most part can't be foreseen. Today, I would like to touch on what the Bible teaches concerning parenting!

Hundreds of parents or guardians struggle with strong willed children or they struggle with how to handle discipline or the like, but again, just like in marriage, you find more parents lost, confused, and frustrated than actually experiencing the bliss that is possible while parenting. This is not how God intended for moms and dads to exist.

You might ask, where is she going with this? Stick with me for a minute. The twists and turns that I can't control will ultimately show where my peace lies. How I manage and react to stress, unforeseen situations, or hurt will show my children how they ought to respond. 

If I respond from these moments in an unhealthy, ungodly, unscriptural way towards my kids or even just around my kids, they will remember them as that being who God is and that they could be the issue. 

But if I manage my emotions and keep myself under control, by displaying my desperate need for God, then I will be showing my kids that we have a loving Father who receives us no matter what's going on and that mommy is vulnerable and human.

I have been doing research to help me grow in my own parenting journey, and in doing so, I stumbled upon some great statistics! One of those was that the number one way we as parents effect our children is by the way we manage our own stress. Can you believe that?! Not by punishment or discipline, but by how we manage our stress!!

I have some great resources for parents, and I will get into that another time, but what I have found is that the way my children view themselves, others and God all funnel from how I view myself, others, and God. My reactionary impulses, emotional meltdowns, frustrated fits, and angry arguments all effect my kids because they are watching, learning, and storing every memory their little brains can handle. 

These are the years that catapult them into their future. The first 18 or so years of a person's life will influence the other 102 or so (we are promised 120 in the Bible ;) ). We all experience disappointment and misunderstanding, but a parent's main responsibility is to be a human representation of the Lord in their life by expressing the Father's love through guidance, forgiveness, repentance, correction, and play by teaching the Word of God. 

The first thing is to quit so hard on ourselves. I am being perfected in Christ as I submit to His Word and the Holy Spirit, but we are never beyond mistakes or emotion. 

The second thing is to remember that your children love you for who you are not what you aren't. They love you before you have a chance to get your make up on and right after they get disciplined. All a child wants is your time, your attention, and your support. 

The third thing is we must allow ourselves to let go of the hurt that we may have experienced from our childhood so that we can raise our children with fresh understanding. We need to allow the Holy Spirit to change within us our definition of what discipline is and what is the best for our kids. The Bible is full of help!

How parents lead and manage themselves will ultimately direct and lead their children without too much effort. You will have to step in consistently, but you won't have the fight all through out their childhood when they are living under your roof. 

Even through rebellious and experimental stages will come and go, God is there to bring guidance to us in our parenting journey. Let's allow the Holy Spirit to bring clarity and help every day, whether we think we need it or not. 

Let me tell ya something, half the time I don't know what I'm doing and I need His help. The other half of the time, I think I know what I'm doing, but I can get off track quickly if I allow my intellect, emotions, or the advice from others to steer the ship. 

God's got your child in His hands, if you placed them there. He created them and He's a lot smarter than we are. Lean on Him. Trust in Him. Rely on Him like you've never done before. 

You'll find that He was a lot more involved and aware of what was going on than what you may have thought. His heart is for the family to function well. Love is who God is and love is the glue to our hearts with our children.

Let Him love you where you are and let Him love through you. You'll be totally glad that you did.

Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything [without weakening].

1 Corinthians 13:7

Comment suggestions:

How many kids do you have?

What is the hardest thing that you find about being a parent?

What questions do you have?