Parenting does not come with a manual. Sometimes, I wish it did. Questions repeatedly plague me in my endeavor to be the mom that Christ has called me to be and point my children to Jesus. Questions like..
"How do I both expect obedience and show grace?"
"What is the most effective and loving form of discipline in this case?"
"What do I do with this two-year-old lying on the floor screaming because she did not get a cookie?"
"How can I use this opportunity to make Christ known?"
While no manual exists, those of us who follow Christ can rely on His promises and His character. In the book of James, the Lord promises to give wisdom to those who ask and do not doubt- wisdom tailored by the Holy Spirit for varying situations, temperments, and circumstances. He gives us the book of Proverbs that is filled with practical universal wisdom. And, the Father gives us Jesus, bloodied and bruised on a cross, laying his life down sacrificially for those of us- ALL of us- that will never obey and earn redemption, no matter how hard we may try. In all of these pictures, we find answers to our many queries as parents.
The thing I've come to realize about Gospel-centered parenting is that it's not about having all those answers or being supermom. It's about Jesus. It's about a gospel-saturated life that spills over into the lives of our children only because it spills over into every area of our life without exception. It's about not idolizing our children or our role as mothers, but instead, worshipping Christ and trusting Him to fit us for His service first and foremost as daughters of the King and then as wives, mothers, workers, etc. It's about having Christ's passion for our children, a passion that does not deem sports involvement, theatre instruction, or academic success as a means of measuring our children's success. It's not about encouraging our child's self-esteem. It's about encouraging their God-esteem. Gospel-centered parenting is not the same thing as Gospel-accessorized parenting. Christ is not just an addition to everything else. He is everything else.
On May 10th, just a couple short weeks away, I am so privileged to have the opportunity to share with the Bemidji MOPs (or maybe MOFs?) group. MOPs or MOFs stands for Mothers of Preschoolers, or in the case of the Bemidji group, Mothers of Faith, a non-denominational group of ladies who get together once a month to encourage and fellowship with one another. I am SO excited to be able to share about what the Lord has been teaching me as a mom and grow together in the knowledge of Christ. If you're a mom in Bemidji, please come and join us! It will be at First Lutheran church from 6-8 pm. Childcare is provided.
With this upcoming opportunity, the Lord has been leading me to think deeply about gospel-centered parenting. Please pray for that evening, that the Lord would lead all of us to a greater revelation of Jesus and convict us about what it means to be gospel-centered people.
"How do I both expect obedience and show grace?"
"What is the most effective and loving form of discipline in this case?"
"What do I do with this two-year-old lying on the floor screaming because she did not get a cookie?"
"How can I use this opportunity to make Christ known?"
While no manual exists, those of us who follow Christ can rely on His promises and His character. In the book of James, the Lord promises to give wisdom to those who ask and do not doubt- wisdom tailored by the Holy Spirit for varying situations, temperments, and circumstances. He gives us the book of Proverbs that is filled with practical universal wisdom. And, the Father gives us Jesus, bloodied and bruised on a cross, laying his life down sacrificially for those of us- ALL of us- that will never obey and earn redemption, no matter how hard we may try. In all of these pictures, we find answers to our many queries as parents.
The thing I've come to realize about Gospel-centered parenting is that it's not about having all those answers or being supermom. It's about Jesus. It's about a gospel-saturated life that spills over into the lives of our children only because it spills over into every area of our life without exception. It's about not idolizing our children or our role as mothers, but instead, worshipping Christ and trusting Him to fit us for His service first and foremost as daughters of the King and then as wives, mothers, workers, etc. It's about having Christ's passion for our children, a passion that does not deem sports involvement, theatre instruction, or academic success as a means of measuring our children's success. It's not about encouraging our child's self-esteem. It's about encouraging their God-esteem. Gospel-centered parenting is not the same thing as Gospel-accessorized parenting. Christ is not just an addition to everything else. He is everything else.
On May 10th, just a couple short weeks away, I am so privileged to have the opportunity to share with the Bemidji MOPs (or maybe MOFs?) group. MOPs or MOFs stands for Mothers of Preschoolers, or in the case of the Bemidji group, Mothers of Faith, a non-denominational group of ladies who get together once a month to encourage and fellowship with one another. I am SO excited to be able to share about what the Lord has been teaching me as a mom and grow together in the knowledge of Christ. If you're a mom in Bemidji, please come and join us! It will be at First Lutheran church from 6-8 pm. Childcare is provided.
With this upcoming opportunity, the Lord has been leading me to think deeply about gospel-centered parenting. Please pray for that evening, that the Lord would lead all of us to a greater revelation of Jesus and convict us about what it means to be gospel-centered people.
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