Sunday, February 7, 2010

Turn The Switch On!


Yesterday, after a long "no nap" day for my girl, I found myself exhausted with our day at 5pm!   Ever have one of those days where every tantrum has been thrown,  every discipline given?   My kiddo's are awesome, and I'm sure just like you, there are some days where every line is crossed.  Just as we're teaching the kids about self control, quick & happy obedience, I too have the times of gentle reminder's to "turn my switch" on to obey with a happy heart! 

I was oh so drained! I found this blog just in time to remind me of my role as mom in teaching my kiddo's and directing them to God's heart!   Believe me,  it was a one of those days where I wanted to just give up and give in!

Being a mom is one of the greatest treasures and gifts of my life. It's also on some days, on of the most challenging adventures that I have ever been a part of.     For these opportunities, these moments,  this season,  these times of "directing" our children to God's heart - I am thankful!

Continuing to work on it all!

James 3:13-16 Message

13-16Do you want to be counted wise, to build a reputation for wisdom? Here's what you do: Live well, live wisely, live humbly. It's the way you live, not the way you talk, that counts. Mean-spirited ambition isn't wisdom. Boasting that you are wise isn't wisdom. Twisting the truth to make yourselves sound wise isn't wisdom. It's the furthest thing from wisdom—it's animal cunning, devilish conniving. Whenever you're trying to look better than others or get the better of others, things fall apart and everyone ends up at the others' throats.
 17-18Real wisdom, God's wisdom, begins with a holy life and is characterized by getting along with others. It is gentle and reasonable, overflowing with mercy and blessings, not hot one day and cold the next, not two-faced. You can develop a healthy, robust community that lives right with God and enjoy its results only if you do the hard work of getting along with each other, treating each other with dignity and honor. 


Helping Our Children Walk in Wisdom…Self Control - By Kelly Crawford - Generation Cedar

Mothering became a full time job I knew I had to devote my life to when I began to look at Scripture and understand my responsibility to impart spiritual wisdom to my children.  That it was more than crayons and protecting them from germs and making sure they ate enough carrots.  It was a dividing line between what others expect and what God requires.

This “imparting of wisdom” is not just a nice parenting term to toss around; it plays itself out day by day, hour by hour, in the details of life.  Someone is daily beside our children pointing them to wisdom or foolishness, teaching them in all things, whether right or wrong.  I believe that one should be father and mother.  And if father works outside the home, the mother or care giver is given the bulk of the task of daily training.

Anyone home all day with little ones (who understands the “imparting of wisdom”) knows the enormous time and mental energy it takes to raise children.  My sister-in-law and I discussed parenting issues the other day and I thought as we talked, “it’s no wonder motherhood–24-hour motherhood–is so unpopular….it’s hard!”   Do hard things.

These verses we read this morning are just one small area that spoke volumes to me about my responsibility to teach my children to walk in wisdom:
“Who is wise among you?  Let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom….For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work….But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield,  full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.  And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.”  James 3:13-18
Boy if that’s not chocked full of parenting!  After all, how does a person learn “good conversation” full of meekness and gentleness and willing to yield?  Because believe me, my children didn’t come that way.  I’m not wired that way.  It’s a daily seeking of life-changing wisdom by all of us!  Me from my Father, and my children from me.

The Lord has really been showing me lately the importance of our speech–the words we say, and especially how we say them. If you listen closely, children do what comes naturally…they use volume and intensity to get what they want. Sometimes they use threats and insults.  It’s a simple matter of a lack of self-control mingled with sinfulness.  As we point to the sin of it, God begins a work in their hearts.  In the mean time, we help them with habits that will meet that work.  

Self-control is not usually common to us; it is a trait that must be learned.  (And unfortunately, a very important trait that many never learn that later has devastating consequences in their lives.)  That one trait can take years!  And mothers, we are the primary catalyst for that transformation in our children.  Sorry, we just are, as heavy as that is.

Let’s get practical…
The earlier you can start working on self-control and its practical applications the better. Sometimes a 7 or 8 month-old infant can demonstrate anger during a diaper change and a gentle speaking to her will begin to train her to understand self-control.

Do you have a 1 or 2 year old that has begun his natural responses to not getting his way? Does he scream or hit when another child has something he wants?  Begin to replace his natural reaction with a wise one.   (And discipline him when it becomes defiance or disobedience to your instruction.) Show him the right response, the right words, the right behavior.  Tell him “No, don’t say….if you want that cup say….”

I’m trying to work with my 3-year old, specifically on her tone of voice.  Again, it’s quite natural to raise her voice when she’s frustrated (it’s natural for me ;-) ) but by stopping her when I catch it, and simply demonstrating a more controlled response helps her to train herself to display self-control.   And, beauty of motherhood, if I’m aware of my job to teach these traits to them, I must, myself, be given to exercising self-control and gentleness.

This one thing–responding to life with self-control–could it be the very foundation of pointing our children to joy and contentment in life?
“He who walks with the wise will become wise; but a companion of fools suffers harm.” Proverbs 13:20
Link to Generation Cedar:    
http://www.generationcedar.com/main/2010/01/helping-our-children-walk-in-wisdom-self-control.html   



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