Do It For The Children…
Luke 18:15-17 (Amplified Bible)
15Now they were also bringing [even] babies to Him that He might touch them, and when the disciples noticed it, they reproved them. 16But Jesus called them [the parents] to Him, saying, Allow the little children to come to Me, and do not hinder them, for to such [as these] belongs the kingdom of God. 17Truly I say to you, whoever does not accept and receive and welcome the kingdom of God like a little child [does] shall not in any way enter it [at all].
Earlier today I was speaking with my God daughter about how hectic life was right now for the two of us. She made mention that she just had to stop for a moment (although she was tired) and take time out to minister to her daughter, by taking her to the park to play after work. I told her I totally understood. When my children were younger I spent unlimited time with them. They were homeschooled and I planned my day around them and their needs. It was a privilege and a blessing. But they are older and finishing up high school and getting ready to embark on College and other things. My heart sinks to think about it.
Today I had an extra full day. I was tired and my focus really was on a million other things. I came in and sat down ready to write the devotional and get myself in the bed early, when my son approached the computer and said, “mom what are you doing right now?” I said getting ready to write the devotional and then get in the bed early.” He said “can’t you write it in the morning and watch a movie with us?” I told him “you know I don’t like to do that.” He said to me, “mom you would deny us some time and to watch a movie with your children?” I felt like I could crawl under the chair I was sitting in. Here I was a mother who took such pride in the fact that she placed her life on hold to homeschool and minister to her children had now gotten so inundated with others and their needs that she could not take a moment to touch the lives of her own. Unacceptable, you can guess what I just finished doing.
We cannot be so ministry minded, so work centered and so money driven that we forget as a parent our most important and valuable gift is our time with our children. Once that space and time is complete we can never get it back. For some of us our children have become an inconvenience to our lifestyle, or for others they are an accessory to be worn at events and shown off, but we do not want the real work that comes with parenting. We as parents neglect to realize that our children’s first image of God and His love is through us, if we mess that up, we can mess them up, damage their relationship with Christ and with others. We are supposed to be leading the way to Christ, by what we show our children and how we love and care for them. We are not supposed to be showing them the way to the nail salon, beauty parlor, the clothing store or any number of other things only. These things are like the cherry on top of the sundae. It is our talk, our walk before them, our teaching them the word and faith that is the ice cream and syrup.
Our children should never be afraid to come to us and ask for anything, let alone time. They should know that as their parents we are here for them to answer questions and sow into their lives in a positive and life changing way that leads to God. But instead we are seeing a generation of manipulators, with an overwhelming sense of entitlement and self; with no regard for life. What does that say about the job that we are doing as parents? It says we are not “Allowing” them to see Jesus let alone get to Him, because of whom we are and that image is standing in their way. Walk the walk, talk the talk and live the life that showers our children with time, love and character but most of all that leads the way to God!
No comments:
Post a Comment