Words Of Encouragement To Start The Day (Wednesday 02/03/10)

Today’s Devotional Written By a Young Woman That God Is Working For Her Good And The Good Of Others: Tracy Koweh

Blood is Thicker than Water

Mother or Manipulator

2 Kings 9:22 (New Living Translation)

²² King Joram demanded, “Do you come in peace, Jehu?” Jehu replied, “How can there be peace as long as the idolatry and witchcraft of your mother, Jezebel, are all around us?”

One of the greatest attribrutes I think we have as women, and more so as mothers........is the power of influence. I believe God gave us this ability as parents to help

steer our children in the right direction. Like with so many gifts the body of Christ has been blessed with, the enemy has found a way to pervert and use it for his own good. Being able to have influence over our children is a neccessity. However, the problem comes when we use that power for our own agenda and not God's. As I was receiving this message from the Lord, He spoke this statement "Had some mothers today been Jesus's mother, He would have never made it to the cross." So I began to think on what that truly meant.

Did it mean that a mother's love would be so deep, she couldn't bare the sight of Him going through so much pain? Or was God saying that she would have convinced him to become a doctor, a lawyer, a football player or any other career she would have wanted. When we are looking at our kids and pushing them to grow, are we seeking first the kingdom of Heaven to know what their true calling in life is? Do we support our children's dreams, only when they line up with our dreams, or do we push them to be the best janitor, cook, or vet that they want to be? Have we ever stopped to ask who first put the dream in them? We have no idea the magnitude of what our children will become, unless we ask God to show us His plan for their lives.

When Jai was first born, I use to joke I'd never let her play soccer because her dad loved it so much. Well, one day playing in the grass together and taking picture she did the cutest pose. It wasn't until later when I uploaded the pictures, I noticed it was a soccer kick. I almost cried from laughing so hard. What if she is destined to be the greatest female soccer player ever? As her mother it is my job to encourage her and let her live the life that God ordained for her. The Bible says to train up a child in the way they should go, not railroad them with our pressures, our dreams, or our wants.

I'm so thankful that Mary choose to be a mother and not a manipulator, because we all needed Him to die on that cross. Where we would be if she hadn't let God have His way in her child's life. I'm sure it wasn't easy the task required of Christ, but she knew that God would protect and provide for Him. So many times we find our calling as an adult after years of pain and confusion, and I believe it’s because we grew up with mothers who didn't understand how to use their power of influence over us correctly. Just as our lives are not our own, our childrens are not ours either. They are given to us..............to give back to Him.