Equipped by God: Encouragement in Raising Godly Children

I remember clearly the expectations I had when I was pregnant with my daughter even before I had even held her  in my arms. I was committed to natural childbirth (it didn’t happen), 100% breast feeding (that didn’t happen either) and I had the perfect set-in-stone sleep schedule to give us all the most happy and joy-filled home (strike three).  How is it possible that I was only a couple of weeks into this journey and I was already feeling like a complete failure? 

The weight of being a good mother- no – a great mother…the BEST mother for my daughter overwhelmed me. As a first generation Christian, I was so afraid to “mess up” and I was determined to give my child the life I never had and the life I “knew” God wanted for her.

Here’s the problem- I relied more on my plans than on prayer and fear drove me to focus on failure instead of the promises of God. I constantly found myself asking:

• How can I do this?
• Am I doing enough?
• Am I doing the “right” things?
• I’ve lost myself- who am I in all of this?” 

I found a simple truth that made everything clear; I am not alone and neither are you.  

Our legacy will not be where we came from but to Whom we belong. If we are faithful, by the grace of God, our children will not be shaped in our image, but in the image of God who hems us in before and behind. There’s freedom and hope in this!  Motherhood is no cakewalk, but guess what? In the epic story of Moses and God’s steadfast faithfulness, we find hope and assurance.

Let’s peel back the layers and discover how God equips us to raise generations of God-loving kiddos, all while leaning on one epic promise.

Divine Calling: Handpicked for this Purpose

Just like God chose Moses to lead the Israelites (Exodus 3:10), He handpicked you for an eternal mission too. Yep, you, mama! You’ve been entrusted with the crazy-amazing responsibility of raising your kids to be God-fearing individuals in this lost world. This doesn’t mean that you have to be a Bible scholar. This means that with each new day, you seek the Lord’s direction in His word. You pray and receive His help and grace and He equips you for everything in this journey from the toddler tantrums to the teen traumas.

It is not what you know, but Who you know and there’s NO better momma for your children than you; God says so – so believe Him instead of those lies that keep you discouraged and defeated. The battle is already won. Walk with joy in that truth and your children will see Jesus in you. What better motherhood goal is there?

God’s Faithfulness: Rock-Solid Through the Uncertainty

 Let’s be honest, Moses had his fair share of mess-ups and wanderings in the desert (Exodus 3-14). But guess what? God’s faithfulness was unwavering! And right here, in the middle of our hot mess mom moments, we can count on the same rock-solid promise. “He will never leave you nor forsake you,” sweet sister!

Do you know what this tells me?

God is big enough to cover my mistakes; He knew I would make them and yet, He still made me momma to four beautiful children from ages 19 down to 7. He won’t abandon me.  He’s not done with me and I’m clinging to the hem of His garment because if I can give my kids a glimpse of His face, my faults and failures will be overshadowed by His glory. And someday, they will receive that grace, too, and that makes the uncertainty a vapor.

Cultivating Faith: Legacy Building 101 

Remember Moses’ face-to-face chat with God at the burning bush? (Exodus 3:1-6). Well, buckle up, because you’ve got some incredible face-to-face moments of your own with your kiddos. Through heart-to-heart talks, prayers, and living out a genuine faith, you’re leaving a legacy of love! Some days are easier than others. Many days, it’s the practical stuff that squelches the Pinterest Faith-Filled momma hope for our homes:

• Kids wake with a bad mood.
• Mom wakes with a bad mood.
• I make  frozen pizza for dinner- again. 
• I’m short with one of my children who can never find his socks to get out the door in time to rush to our one-too-many commitments so they can have all of the opportunity and well-roundedness they need to thrive.

Sound familiar?  Deep breath. Momma, we need to keep it simple.

We know the saying that in motherhood  the days are long but the years are short; don’t discount the moments. Fill up on Truth so you have eyes to see when that one kid needs a word of encouragement or just 5 minutes to listen to what happened with a friend.

And what about bedtime?  We’re tired at night, but every home has a liturgy, a rhythm – what is yours?

Mine was rushing kids through the bedtime routine so I could FINALLY finish my tasks and rest; I was often not the most loving and those moments were not the most faith-building. It was a legacy I didn’t want to leave. It was a rhythm based on routing instead of relationship.

So, did I overall and make a huge plan with a sparkling new liturgy- absolutely! . Did it work? Absolutely not. It was a miserable failure. So, instead of giving up I gave it up and I just prayed. I landed here: 

• Pray with them.
• Read one Bible story to the littles.
• Remind each of them  of My love.

I was changed. Our home was changed. Bedtime became a time of worship instead of a time of war; it’s not perfect but it’s progress and I know the Lord is pleased. It’s His legacy in His power and He gives us just enough light for the next step. 

Listen to the podcast below to discover how building our house on God’s word can protect us as mothers and provide a guide to fulfilling a Godly legacy for our families.