This past week has been very busy and fun! I have gotten back into routine with eating and with life which is a huge help when it comes to eating better. A busy life also means less time to think about food and stuffing my face. My Cricut machine is back to humming away with projects, homeschool is back into session, and this past week I had the opportunity to help a fellow mom by keeping her 3 kids so she could go appointments and I enjoyed preparing for a devotional that I shared at a baby shower this morning. Because I was kept busy, the scale was my friend this past week. I lost 5.4 pounds for a total of 37 lost the past 18 weeks. Not too bad! I made up for the pounds I had gained last week as well as lost a few more. Today I shared a devotional at a baby shower. I chose a topic that was close to my heart and am sharing my notes here for you to read and glean. :O)
WHAT IS OUR PURPOSE AS MOMS?
Our ultimate purpose is not to raise perfect children or to have an perfect ideal family life.
Our ultimate purpose is not to pursue personal promotion and contentment.
Our ultimate purpose - the reason we were created - is to glorify God.
God is our reference point for everything we do in this life.
Embracing God's glory as our reason for being will translate into joyful obedience as we endeavor to complete the work He assigns us.
I know "joyful" is a difficult word, given some of the circumstances we face in parenting, but the more we embrace our purpose of glorifying God, the more joy we will find in this labor.
Think about Mary.
In the face of the startling news of her own pregnancy, Mary says in Luke 1:38, "Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her."
How does God want me to obedient as a mother?
Genesis 18:18-19 – “Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?
For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.”God wants mothers to keep the way of the Lord to be an example to her children.
What do we need to remember most importantly?
Family is the primary place where children learn about God and godliness.
As parents, we must teach our children:
about God,
the truths of Scripture,
about Christ and His gospel
Then we must encourage and show our children to use that knowledge as the foundation for their lives.
* Parents have primary responsibility for the training and nurturing of children - not Sunday school teachers or pastors or the local schools or the government, etc. *
Deuteronomy 6:4-7 - Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.
We are commanded to love the LORD and to meditate on His word.
Then right away we are told to teach these things to our children.
Teaching our children about God is a fundamental demonstration of love and obedience to our Creator.
We are to love the LORD first and then teach our children.
Also, Deut. 4:9 exhorts us not only to teach our children, but to teach our children's children. This is a calling that will last our entire lives!
This is not an easy assignment –
the world,
the devil,
and our own sin nature work against us.
We need supernatural power for this work.
What is the Power Source for this lifelong labor of obedience to God's command to teach our children?
* Power source #1 is God’s love for us - we are the object of God's amazing grace!
1 John 3:1 “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.”
Romans 8:35 “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?”
* Power source #2 is God’s protection over us - He is sovereign over everything, and works everything to our good and His glory.
Romans 8:28 “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”
* Power source #3 is God's Spirit dwelling in us and helping us in our weakness.
Romans 8:26a “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities”
* Power source #4 is Christ Himself is interceding for us!
Romans 8:26b “for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.”
Our security and significance are not grounded in the world and what we think our life should be.
Our security and significance is not grounded in our children, our marriages or our careers.
Our security and significance are grounded in Christ and this gives us the freedom to pursue God's glory.
When we realize that God's glory is our purpose, we have all the stability we need in the face of difficult circumstances, in the chaos of childrearing, and the emotional extremes that touch our hearts at time.
Our basis for making decisions and dealing with life circumstances is to focus on God's glory, not our own expectations or preferences.
How can we keep God’s glory our focus?
1. Pray daily for God's wisdom and strength as you seek to mother your children, and that you will know the sufficiency of Christ in this area of your life.
2. Pray daily for your husband. He needs to know you are praying for him and so do your kids. Teach them to pray for their father as well.
3. Read your Bible daily. It is your source of strength and wisdom for the daily grind. I know that when I feel I don’t have time, that is when I really NEED to make time.
4. Look for opportunities to communicate God's presence, character, and attributes to your children - He's all over creation!
5. Use "hard times" as opportunities for prayer and praise –
Defy the devil!
Develop a habit of thankfulness.
Use difficulties to identify with Christ's sacrifice and suffering for you.
2 Corinthians 12:9 “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”
1. Overwhelmed by His mercy, amazed by His grace;
I am cleansed from all sin, every sign every trace.
Jesus left Heaven’s portals Himself to abase;
I’m overwhelmed by His mercy and His all sufficient grace.
2. I will rest in His keeping each night and each day,
For I know that He’s leading each step of the way.
Tho’ the valleys of sadness at times I must face,
Still He comforts all heartaches with His all sufficient grace.
3. O what love God bestows upon all who believe:
He will free you from guilt when His Son you receive,
He has promised to keep you, prepare you a place,
If you’ll take of His mercy and His all sufficient grace.
Chorus:
God’s everlasting mercy, O what tender relief,
When burdened with sorrow and laden with grief;
When I think that on Calvary Christ died in my place
I’m overwhelmed by His mercy and His all sufficient grace.
PREACH THE GOSPEL
2 Timothy 4:1-2 – “I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine.”
1. To yourself as a mom - Even in motherhood, Christ's righteousness is our covering, our security. We can't do this mom job - Christ can, perfectly. Rest in the work that Christ has done and trust him to continue to work on your behalf.
2. To your children - In disciplining your children, deal with their sinfulness honestly. Explain to them that lying is sin, or being disrespectful is sin, or whatever your child is struggling with that is sin:
that God hates sin and cannot even look upon it;
that because of sin, they need someone to save them;
that God sent Jesus to die to pay for such sins;
that Jesus bore the wrath of God so that we wouldn't have to;
that Jesus loves us and is able to help us.
PRAY with your children, showing them how to confess their sin and ask for God's forgiveness and Christ's redeeming work in their hearts and lives. When you sin and your children are aware of it, confess it to them as well. They need to see that even we struggle with obedience and let them see you pray to God for forgiveness. God is faithful to forgive us our sins. Let them see this.
Ephesians 3:14-21
14For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
15Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,
16That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;
17That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,
18May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;
19And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.
20Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,
21Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.
3 comments:
Great job, friendly friend!
This is really well said and wonderful. I want to print it and keep it in my church note binder. Beautiful message! It is just what I needed to hear to remind me that being a homeschool mom is the most important mission God can call a woman to, and we are doing God's work as we teach our children. God bless u and thanks for sharing.
This is really well said and wonderful. I want to print it and keep it in my church note binder. Beautiful message! It is just what I needed to hear to remind me that being a homeschool mom is the most important mission God can call a woman to, and we are doing God's work as we teach our children. God bless u and thanks for sharing.
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