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This week was our last women’s Bible Study until after the New Year. The topic for the last week?

“Wisdom for Moms” by Beth Moore.

Funny how the timing worked out. The challenges of the new school year faced bravely & routines established. Yet now facing what has to be the busiest time of the year for most moms & women.

When asked to write down a few of their most daunting challenges, the women responded:

  • accepting loss of control on the choices their children make
  • being patient
  • having self-control so as to be a good example
  • discipline – how to do it kindly & wisely

When asked to write down a few of the rewards they received, the women responded:

  • seeing their children play & get along
  • improvements in the behavior of their children
  • the joy of snuggling
  • the smile & excitement as their children come out of school
  • unconditional love
  • laughter
  • forgiveness
  • seeing their children pray together
  • hearing your child say, “You’re my best friend!”

Yes, the rewards definitely outnumbered the challenges. Yet there is no denying that parenting/mothering is a monumental job each & every day. It is exhausting. It is sacrificial. It is a roller coaster ride of emotions. On a daily basis 🙂

The pressure we put on ourselves to mother with perfection, to raise trophy children, is a burden we just cannot carry. We were not meant to carry it. We are here in their lives for a short time that will hopefully leave a lifetime of memories & influence.

We mold their lives in the same fashion that we show them to shape play-doh.

We impress dreams & goals on their little hearts & minds much the same way we teach them to paint a picture with their little fingers.

We fan their abilities & talents hoping for a successful outcome like we put a thousand piece puzzle together & hope for a completed picture or work of art.

We send them to school, to camps, to sports, to dance – adding experiences to their little lives – as if we were adding ingredients to a recipe & pray for an award winning dessert.

There is nothing in life that will tug on our heart strings more than motherhood.

So the question becomes….

How? How do we mold & impress & fan & add to their lives so that we produce children whose lives will fulfill God’s purposes?

“Listen, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD alone. And you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again & again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home & when you are on the road, when you are going to bed & when you are getting up.” (Deuteronomy 6:4-7 NLT).

We see here some very practical ways in which we can parent successfully. And it all falls upon us, the parents to:

  1. LOVE. Love God. Love Him with all you have. Love Him fully. Completely. To love your children well, you must love God first.
  2. COMMIT. Be fully & wholly committed to Him. In all areas of your life may He be reflected. Know His Word. Obey His commands. Be diligent in prayer.
  3. REPEAT. You need to know His Word in order to repeat His Word to your children. Again. And again. And again. They need to hear it repeatedly so that it sinks into their little hearts while their heart is still tender & malleable.
  4. TALK. Talk about God’s Word & the effect it has had on your life. Talk about how God makes life work. Talk about His character, His activity, Who He is. Talk constantly.

Mothering takes place in the dailyness of life. Raising our children to love God also takes place each day. This is the battle that we face each morning. And we fight it in 24 hour segments of time. One day at a time. But if we are faithful and we love, commit, repeat & talk; it is a battle that can be won & one day we will reap a harvest!

moms-posters

***Hope to see you there when this study resumes on Tues. 1/15/13 @ 6:45PM & Wed. 1/16/13 @ 9:30AM.