Friday, February 3, 2017

Wisdom for Mamas, New & 'Seasoned' Alike


The following post is by guest-writer, Heidi Gifford, and was originally a devotional presented at the baby shower of a new mom-to-be - but the wisdom she shares is perfect for new and seasoned moms alike! Enjoy. :)
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Dear New Mom-To-Be...

It's hard to believe that in just a little while longer, you will be holding your sweet baby in your arms! I know that you have anticipated becoming a mommy and have spent much time planning and preparing to care for baby when he makes his debut! The journey that you and your hubby are about to embark on together is an incredible gift from our gracious God - one that will drastically change your life and will be used by God to make you more like Christ and train your heart to trust Him more. I know that your desire is to raise baby in a way that honors God.

But where do we start?!

Deuteronomy 6: 5-7 says,
“You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up.”

The starting place for all of us moms is our own hearts. We see that in these verses as we are exhorted to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, and might before we are instructed to diligently teach our children all day everyday. While none of us love God perfectly, we can and should be growing in our love for Him day by day.

But how?

By God's design, the way we do that is by the study and application of His word, by the power of the Spirit, and through prayer. The Bible is God's revelation of Himself to us. It is the primary tool that He uses to cause us to grow and mature in Christ.

Psalm 19 says,
“The law of the LORD is perfect, restoring the soul; The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the LORD are true; they are righteous altogether. They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb."

‭‭Make time every day to sit at the feet of the Lord Jesus and learn from Him. Stand in awe of who He is and what He has done for you, and that will fuel your obedience to His commands to you.

As you grow in your own relationship with Christ, you will be equipped to teach your sweet baby. We have a unique opportunity to make disciples in our homes!! For 18 years (Lord willing), our children live under our roof and under our authority! You and your hubby get to go on this journey together, growing in your own faith, and pointing your son to your Savior! Live authentically and intentionally. Let your child see you loving Jesus by how you live. Let your life be evidence that you really believe what you will be teaching him.

And do teach him! Tell him about who God is, show him his sin and his need for Jesus, and tell him about what God has done to make a way for him to have a right relationship with Him. Behold the glory of the Lord Jesus with him in the Scriptures and in the world around him. Dazzle him with the glory of God! I mean, have you ever slowed down and really pondered the complexity of the world we live in and stood in awe of the fact that not only did Jesus create it all but He is sustaining it all at all times. Look at the stars, watch the ants, examine the trees..."Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God almighty!! The whole earth is filled with his glory!"

When you are blown away by how awesome God is, consider the fact that people are His most treasured creation. The Creator of the universe became a man in order to live perfectly and die for sinful people to have a way back to God! It is mind blowing! Talk about all these things and encourage your child to "taste and see that the Lord is good."

It's no small task, being a parent. The days to come will stretch you beyond your limits, expose sin you didn't know was hiding out in your heart, and some days you will feel like you're losing your mind! But God is working!! According to Rom. 8:28-29, for those that love God, He is working ALL things together for your good and His glory.

The good He is working for you is your conformity into the image of His son. God is not interested in giving you an easy life. His will for you is your sanctification, and you can count on Him using these years that you are in the thick of parenting to work toward that end. It doesn't always feel good, but it is good and it is His grace toward you. He is training you to depend on, and to trust Him and Him alone. Apart from Him, you can do nothing! As 2 Cor. 12:9-10 says,
"My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.”

I remember bringing each one of my babies home from the hospital, looking at their tiny little bodies, and feeling totally inadequate to be all that they needed me to be. I had no idea what I was doing (I still don't!), but I wanted so badly to be a good mom - to feel good about my performance at the end of every day. I wanted to be the perfect mom, but I wanted that for all the wrong reasons.

But God, in his Grace, has and continues to teach me that I am inadequate. I can't be a perfect mom and He doesn't expect me to be. God wants my heart. He wants me to depend on and trust Him. He wants me to walk by faith with Him and be an instrument in His hands in the lives of my kids. He wants me to be faithful in parenting, not so I can feel good about what I'm doing and not even to get results from my kids. He wants me to be faithful because it pleases Him. How freeing that is!

In the book, "The Faithful Parent,” Martha Peace says,

“Faithfulness, not perfection, is rewarded by the Lord. That's because we can no more live a sinless life than we can make our children do the same thing. Only our Lord Jesus is he “who knew no sin” (2 Corin. 5:21). He never sinned, but we do, and he knew we would need his help and encouragement to raise our children faithfully as he desires. The astounding good news is that by God's grace Christian parents have been placed in a position where they can learn and obey God's will more and more, because they have God's Spirit indwelling them. A person who is striving to honor the Lord in parenting, repenting, and changing is a faithful parent. Although we will not be perfect parents, we can, day-by-day, learn to live out God's instructions. Some day, we can hear the Lord say to us what the master told his slave, “Well done, good and faithful servant” (Matt. 25:21).”

Mama, you won't be a perfect parent. None of us are. But by God's grace, you can grow in faithfulness day by day. Commit yourself to following hard after Christ. Trust Him in every circumstance that He allows, knowing that it is for your good, that His grace is sufficient, and that in your weaknesses, His power is perfect in you. And, enjoy each season! You'll hear this a thousand times, and it's so true - the days are long but the years are short. While parenting is challenging in a lot of ways, it is also so much fun! It is a tremendous gift to be a mama!!

May God grant you and your hubby much grace as you pursue Him together, and seek wisdom from the Lord to raise your child with the goal to please Him in all that you do. I pray that your heart will rest in the knowledge of God's goodness and faithfulness, and that He will equip you to be a mommy that leaves a legacy of loving and treasuring Jesus, and living a life of joyful obedience to the Savior of your soul.

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