A few thoughts on Parenting

I've been reading straight through the Bible for the past few months, and I came across a verse this morning that struck a cord with me as a mom. "As Saul turned to leave Samuel, God changed Saul's heart, and all these signs were fulfilled that day. " I Samuel 10:9

As I parent my children and seek to raise them in a way that honors the Lord, I find myself on the treadmill of Godly discipline. You moms know what I mean. Disciplining our children in love is an ongoing process. It's constant and unending. It requires TONS of time and energy and patience. Sometimes we see great fruit and other times not so much. And sometimes we get down right discouraged. It's times like this that I have to take a look at my own heart. Whoa have I ever been a process myself!! I require so much grace and patience myself.

Anyway, as I read the above verse this morning, it was such a comfort. God is the one who changes hearts, not us. Yes, I am called to point my children to Lord daily, to teach them and show them grace, to give them consequences, to tell them the gospel every time they mess up, BUT ultimately, it's the Lord's job to give them faith and show them their sin and lead them to repentance. HE is the heart doctor, not me. What a relief! Sometimes I feel the burden of a huge responsibility that's not even mine...my children's hearts.

So I came away with what I already knew....my best parenting is going to be done through prayer. I can talk, teach, discipline, instruct, explain until I am blue in the face, but ultimately, prayer is where I will be the most effective because God works through our prayers, and oh how He loves our children and wants to operate on their hearts! And ours too of course.

So today may I lift up my babies' hearts to the Lord, and mine and Joel's as well, that the Lord would warm our hearts to Him and show us our need for more of Jesus everyday.

And as I continue on the treadmill of discipline, may He continue to remind me as he did this morning that He is in the business of changing hearts!