One of the greatest things that I think I can teach my children is how to show other people God's love. This can be done through so many things: helping them when they need help, smiling at them, giving hugs, talking to them, and generally being a nice person.
However, just as with teaching any other concept to small children, it's not so easy. My children mimic what they see around them and - let's face it - that's not always God's love. Even I (gasp) don't always show my children God's love. I get frustrated, impatient, and even angry when my children do something they aren't supposed to. Then, the phrases that come out of my mouth tend to come out of my children's mouths when they get frustrated, impatient and angry...phrases such as, "Seriously!" "What were you thinking?" "STOP!" and "No! That's unacceptable."
It's not necessarily that these are bad phrases in and of themselves. In fact, these are phrases that I could say to my children and still show them God's love through the manner in which I say them. But, I so often don't.
So often, I allow the everyday frustrations and idiosyncrasies that come with being a mom to overwhelm me. I forget that my first and foremost mission field is in how I react and respond to my children being children. Because, this is how my children will act and respond to other people. In order to show my children God's love - and therefore teach them how to show other people His love - I must first and foremost remember that, in everything I am doing as a mother, I am serving the Lord. I must wholeheartedly serve the Lord and, as it says in Eph. 6, not serve man - or in this case I am taking it to mean my children.
I am choosing to change my attitude toward being a mother and make a stronger and greater effort to show them God's love instead of just talking about how they can show other people God's love. I will do this through every flooded toilet because of another toy being stuffed into it, through every "I want a new Mommy," and every injury my kids give me.
However, just as with teaching any other concept to small children, it's not so easy. My children mimic what they see around them and - let's face it - that's not always God's love. Even I (gasp) don't always show my children God's love. I get frustrated, impatient, and even angry when my children do something they aren't supposed to. Then, the phrases that come out of my mouth tend to come out of my children's mouths when they get frustrated, impatient and angry...phrases such as, "Seriously!" "What were you thinking?" "STOP!" and "No! That's unacceptable."
It's not necessarily that these are bad phrases in and of themselves. In fact, these are phrases that I could say to my children and still show them God's love through the manner in which I say them. But, I so often don't.
So often, I allow the everyday frustrations and idiosyncrasies that come with being a mom to overwhelm me. I forget that my first and foremost mission field is in how I react and respond to my children being children. Because, this is how my children will act and respond to other people. In order to show my children God's love - and therefore teach them how to show other people His love - I must first and foremost remember that, in everything I am doing as a mother, I am serving the Lord. I must wholeheartedly serve the Lord and, as it says in Eph. 6, not serve man - or in this case I am taking it to mean my children.
I am choosing to change my attitude toward being a mother and make a stronger and greater effort to show them God's love instead of just talking about how they can show other people God's love. I will do this through every flooded toilet because of another toy being stuffed into it, through every "I want a new Mommy," and every injury my kids give me.
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