“ Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble.” 1 Peter 3:8
Children are dishonest sinners and so are we. As parents, it is tempting to forget how often God has lavished His grace, patience, and love on us. I know I seldom recall now, as an adult, just how long it took me to get here. God must have shaken his fist at me and moaned in frustration many times over the stupid things I did when I was young! But the beautiful thing is the way He remained by my side. He walked with me through all the disappointment and annoyance; and that is what we must do with our children.
Psalm 103:8-10 reveals God’s character towards us so well and these verses have become helpful for me as a mom: “The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.” Dear friends, we need to act this way with our sweet children.
When our children are little, this comes out in letting them be human beings. They will make messes, disobey, and fight with their siblings. Those behaviors are normal for children, but what is not normal and healthy is you losing your temper and making them feel ashamed when they make a mistake or do something stupid. Our children need to know we love them and are proud of them forever, because they are ours – and not based on what they do. If anything, our love towards them has to be even more evident when they are defiant. The affection we show and countenance we have needs to be on full display, especially during the draining seasons.
As mothers, we have to draw from the Lord’s supernatural grace and compassion. It should be our hearts desire to have our children, specifically when they are older, run towards us when they have messed up; knowing they will be met with kindness and forgiveness every time. “God is kind, but he’s not soft. In kindness he takes us firmly by the hand and leads us into a radical life-change.” Romans 2:4 (The Message). After all, parenting is a beautiful balance of training, disciplining, gently leading, and most of all, the journey should always abound in love.
Love,
Rachel and the Help Club for Moms Team
I love coffee, cooking, and anything British.I have one wonderful husband and four crazy and joyful children - three big girls and one little boy.I am originally from the desert in Arizona and now I live in the beautiful mountains of Colorado.
I homeschool our children and struggle every day.Being part of Help Club for Moms has been a blessing in my life and I truly couldn’t mother without this incredible community behind me.
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