by Joyce Meyer
Bringing Up Your Children with Peace, Patience and Confidence
At one time or another, every mom has felt lacking in her ability as a parent. It begins with caring for your newborn. Am I doing this right? And then continues with toddler tantrums all the way through the teenage years. Am I making the right decisions? Are my kids going to turn out all right? When they make mistakes, will they know that God is on their side? Even when our children are grown-ups, they’ll forever be our children.There are awesome responsibilities that come with being a parent, and while many men are committed to their families and deeply involved in their children’s lives, mothers tend to be the primary nurturers.
I have met young moms who feel they are not what they should be unless they can juggle marriage, parenting, homemaking, and a career all at the same time.
Sometimes messy and difficult family situations like divorce, alcoholism, abuse, or other problems make it even harder to persevere with a positive, peaceful attitude.
Then there’s the worry that your children may not choose to pursue a personal relationship with God or walk through life with Him.
If you feel like your joy in motherhood is being overshadowed by family challenges or a swirling sense of self-doubt, I want to help you claim the confidence you need to enjoy the journey of motherhood.
I’m not talking about confidence in your own abilities; I am talking about having confidence in God’s ability to help you and guide you each step of the way. He intends for motherhood to be a joyful experience, and I want to help you learn how to lean confidently on Him.
One thing God doesn’t want you to do is worry. Some people think if they aren’t worrying about their children, they’re not good parents. However, the Bible warns us not to worry because it does us no good.
Matthew 6:27 says, “And who of you by worrying and being anxious can add one unit of measure (cubit) to his stature or to the span of his life?”
Like most parents, Dave and I had some kind of issue with each of our children. And I wasted a lot of time worrying while they were growing up.
Two of our children struggled getting through school, one was very messy, and another was an extreme perfectionist and put tremendous pressure on herself. The good news is they all made it and are doing fine.
Some of them took a little detour and made some bad choices, but they learned from them and came full circle back to what they were taught.
God's Word states that if we train our children in the way they should go, when they are old they will not depart from it (see Proverbs 22:6). If you are concerned about your children, just cling to that promise. Pray for their needs, and then cast your care on God.
Instead of feeling the pressure of worldly expectations, do the best job you can to raise your children according to godly principles and leave the rest up to God.
See Part 2
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