As you could tell from my blog last week, I was having a very difficult time mommying my 2 year old. And as I said, every book I read about parenting was for dealing with a rational, reasoning child, which mine is not in the midst of a 2 year old tantrum. I was at my wits end one afternoon, sitting on my bed with Brady on one hip, trying to hold my Bible in a way that I could read it and still keep it out of Brady's grip, asking God to help me...I opened my Bible and this is how He answered my cry.
"23Don't have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. 24And the Lord's servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. 25Those who oppose him he must GENTLY instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth..." 2 Timothy 2:23-25
I was convicted immediately of all the foolish and stupid arguments I've been having with my 2 year old, that I wasn't being kind or teaching anything that I wanted him to learn in my frustration, and I was definitely resentful of the fact that he was not cooperating with me!
A friend of mine recently told me (in regard to another relationship) that I need to stop trying to make people live up to my expectations and stop trying to be the Holy Spirit. When I read the part about GENTLY instructing in the hope that God would lead them to the truth, I was reminded that I need to apply that same idea to my children. I need to stop trying to make my boys live up to my expectations and the expectations of others and allow the Holy Spirit to work in their lives. I am to GENTLY instruct. GOD grants them repentance and leads them to truth.
So ladies, I pray that each of us learns to gently instruct and then we get out of the way for God to powerfully work in our kids!
BTW-I wrote this scripture on my mirror in my room as a reminder. Dry erase markers are great for that!
4 comments:
Great reminder! This is hard to do even when your kids become adults. Especially because most of the time they don't want to be instructed any longer. Then it's up to God to be the instructor and we have to step back and let God do His thang! I'm just glad He deals with me in a kind and gentle way too.
This is awesome Randi! I never looked at it like playing the Holy Spirit. I have been convicted lately that God needs to work in my husband not me, but I never really stopped to think that maybe I am getting in the way of God working in my children at times! I do need to get out of the way after gently instructing them. That is such and awesome reminder! Thanks for sharing this, can you please share more of your wonderful revelations???
Ok, what I meant to say was God does the work not me in my husband:) Not that he does not need to work in me, he needs to work in me (more if anything)! That came out wrong on my comment:)
Great thoughts Randi! I needed to read that as well. Yesterday pretty much the only words I uttered (incessantly) all day long were "Jake, no!" I want to be a gentle instructor as well and model Christ for him, but it gets tricky after several long days in a row. Thanks for encouraging me! Love you!
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