As mothers we get busy. Cooking. Cleaning. Projects. Fellowship. And so on. My sons are 15 and 17 next month. The instruction and getting to the heart is not over, it continues on. They receive it, and believe this is good, right, loving, and aiding them to prepare them for their own roles into adulthood as husbands, fathers, leaders, and more.
It is so easy to get deeply enthralled in our daily roles and what we are doing at any given moment in time and forgot to stop, pause, and BE FULLY ENGAGED in the right things. So busy in “doing” – can easily become “selfish/self motivated”, what we want at this moment, “I just want to get this project done” (we consider or even mumble inside). “I just am going to sit and take this break with my coffee and the Word” (while my children are in a moment they need me).
How crucial it is to step out of a “good thing” and step into a million times a day to the greater thing. The greatest thing. Getting to the heart of our child. It can almost become a moment of “despising” or “dread” to drop what “WE” are doing to be there. We may feel torn away from that “thing”, yet go as “duty” calls, missing the bigger eternal perspective. Sadly we may choose to ignore the greater thing because of the inconvenience, or choose to “go” but do it with irritation and impatience, and make no eternal investment, or choose to respond in obedience to God ourselves, and love sacrificially like Jesus.
We can choose to put aside our agenda, for the greater good – the agenda for hearts sanctified for the Kingdom. Ours and our children.
Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” Matthew 19:14
Oh we must not hinder our children by lack of truly putting aside the other things and being there with them-like Jesus.
Taking time, living like Mary who chose the greater thing that cannot be taken away, Jesus said. Truly caring and understanding this moment is life or death. Choose wisely. Truly training up a child in the way they should go, truly getting to depths of the heart as we seek God and keep our focus on this high calling. Mom is a high calling. Just as the Son obediently obeyed the Father. Our children under our care under heaven are to obey, submit to us in honor and authority, they are to trust we have their greatest eternal good in mind.
Getting to the heart brings reward. Sweetness. It brings submission. Proper order by God. There is a mutual respect. When we respect our children by biblically requiring obedience, honor, and seeking out their true heart, which requires fervent prayer, a true soldier like mentality with determination to break through the barriers and overcome for the sake of another-a child. They will submit, respect, honor us, and truly honor God, they will walk in greater peace, have less confusion and chaos, and be truly confident in a growing relationship with God and others.
This mutual God ordained, properly ordered relationship brings sweetness and reconciling relationship.
This is what I taught and witnessed with our son today. He was busily cleaning a horse stall while this little girl (aka very precious pony) was “acting up”. By acting up, she wanted her own way. She was pushing against her authority trying see if she could be in charge, be the boss. My son was going to move her away from his space quickly so he could finish his cleaning job. What a wonderful opportunity God laid in front of me to teach him eternal things.
He let the “important” thing go temporarily to address the TRULY important and greater thing. Getting to the heart of this precious pony. She needed him. Desperately. “be calm, and strong” I told my son. I explained to him, that this was going to be a lesson God would use to teach him about being a dad with his child. I showed him how to be okay with leaving the work for the greater work. I showed him how to lovingly correct, discipline and nothing short of requiring full obedience. He backed her up, and required her to stand, if she moved an inch, he backed her further. I told him he must stay with it, with her, and stay engaged as long as necessary to see the transformation. Soon enough, she stood, like a pristine, confident, shining, beautifully obedient pony. She had respect for my son. It radiated off of her. He could see the difference. As he pulled her near to him, he spoke encouragement, and showed her physical affection. He loved her through the entire process. He went back to finishing the stall cleaning and later moved onto lunging her in the arena. Standing in the middle he commanded her to run. She ran, but soon, “it had attitude”. She was obeying, with a disrespect as she kicked up her heels in a rebellious buck. He simply waved the whip in the air to command her onward, and she ran. Guess what? She ran like a sleek, beautiful, full of joy, and fully from inward to outward obedience. The master had her full attention and full heart. She had submitted to him, and what peace ruled and reigned in her because of his persevering love.
She continued to be a content and peaceful pony the remainder of our time at the ranch. She stood by his side so happy to be there. Not trying to get her own way. It was absolutely incredible to watch the transformation. It was an absolute gift to have this time for my son to see how God’s way brings peace and life. For him to see what matters to Jesus, and how we could relate this to our care for His creation of this precious pony, as well see how he could use this inward calm and obedience to God in his own life potentially with his own child one day. Setting aside everything else, to the thing that truly matters.
Relationship with God. Obedience. Submission. Heart level transformation. Loving instruction. Training up children the way they should go. Seeing the fruit.
Invest in the eternal matters – it matters for all eternity. As the Proverb goes, correction is vital to deliver a soul from hell. Proverbs 23:13
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“My son, (child) if your heart is wise,
My heart will rejoice—indeed, I myself;
Yes, my inmost being will rejoice”
Proverb 23:14-16
“I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.”
Luke 15:7
Sitting at the feet of Jesus. Basking in His every Word – looking to Him in deep honor, ready to take it in to the depths and walk with Him in it all the day long… the greatest thing.
“She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. 40 But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one.[a]Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”
Luke 10:39-42
