Do Your Children Want What You Have?
“Let your girl see that you love God’s Word more than a novel, a miniseries, a movie. Let her see you read it, study it, learn it, memorize it, apply it to daily life” (Audrey Broggi). Do your children see that your love for the Lord and for God’s Word is the most important thing in your life? Do they see you living out your love for Jesus? In raising godly offspring, this is the most important thing you can do. Many children turn away from faith in Jesus Christ because their parents were hypocrites. Their parents told them one thing but turned around and participated in those things they told their children not to do.
Do they see pureness in your life? Are you careful what you watch, read, listen to, and speak? Are you careful to not allow any filthiness into your home? Satan is on the prowl and looking whom he may devour. He would love to devour your children. We are in a spiritual battle and we must protect our children. This, I believe, is one of the main reasons God wants young women to be keepers at home. They are to protect their children from Satan’s wiles. They must put on the full armor of the Lord every day and stand guard over their homes.
Do they see Jesus in you by your kindness? They are watching the way you treat the disgruntled waitress, the way you treat your husband even when he is unkind, and especially by the way you treat them. Do you live a life of kindness? Kindness as defined in the 1828 Webster Dictionary: “Disposed to do good to others, and to make them happy by granting their requests, supplying their wants or assisting them in distress; having tenderness or goodness of nature.”
One of the qualifications for older widows to receive assistance from the churches is this: “Well reported of for good works; if she have brought up children, if she have lodged strangers, if she have washed the saints’ feet, if she have relieved the afflicted, if she have diligently followed every good work” (1 Timothy 5:10). This is a description of living a life of kindness.
We are told to be long-suffering. Are you long-suffering? Benson commentary describes long-suffering this way: “The love of God, and of our neighbour for God’s sake, is patient toward all men. It suffers all the weakness, ignorance, errors, and infirmities of the children of God; and all the malice and wickedness of the children of the world; and all this not only for a time, but to the end; and in every step toward overcoming evil with good.”
Is your love genuine? Do your children see you not only saying that you love others but that you show others love? Do you listen when they speak? Do you care for their needs and serve them willingly? Words are meaningless if they are not followed up by actions.
In order to be godly women, we must be in the Word of God daily since this is what transforms us. We can’t expect to live out a love for Jesus if we aren’t dwelling on the good and the lovely that is in God’s Word. He has given us everything we need for life and godliness. His Spirit works mightily within us. We are His children and loved by Him. He has washed us clean by His blood that He shed on the cross for us. We are called to be living sacrifices for Him. Learn about all of this in the Bible, then live for Him. When your children see you living a joy-filled life for the Lord, they will want what you have.
That the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.
2 Corinthians 4:10
5 thoughts on “Do Your Children Want What You Have?”
It always blesses me to see adult children who are following the Lord because they have been raised by godly mothers.
Sometimes the godly mother isn’t enough. I don’t say God wasn’t enough. Sometimes, a rebellious child needs to be let go of … I don’t mean ‘disowned’ … never.
There is the example of the prodigal son. We’ve got 3 adult children, 2 of them are following after God, and want to be homemakers as well (and have lots of babies!). Our other is not walking even close to God (as far as I know). It is heart-breaking to have a prodigal child, that doesn’t really want to have anything to do with you or the family. Just like the father of those two sons, he parented the best he could for the both of them. But the one was just determined to work things out on his own, so he left.
My heart goes out to all those moms and dads that are living the best they can to follow God …. yet it’s just not enough for some kids. Don’t lose heart, your prodigal could come back any day!
This is so crucial. If they hear us grumble, we send the wrong message. More lessons are “caught” than “taught”. Just think how much more peace there would be in the world if children saw their mothers responding with kindness instead of reacting with indignation. We have such an important job. These little ones are entrusted to us. What job could be more important?
Seeds were planted in the prodigals who come from godly families and we know that His Word doesn’t come back void so yes, keep praying!!!
Great article, again.
The love of a mother at home is reflected by a child to the entire world. I’ve seen children who were loved at home and ones who weren’t, and the ones who were were far more loving, open, kind, caring, and compassionate towards strangers and people they came across. It’s kind of sad, because the child who wasn’t loved at home is disabled from showing the very thing to others that they will have to show to get the love we all desire. However, God is over all, and is capable of being a father and a mother to those who lacked.