Mama's Heart: The WHY...I do what I do...

Duet. 4:9, "Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them."

My children recite Eph. 6:1...A LOT...and it occurred to me, that sometimes even as good Christian parents...we forget WHY we are training and disciplining our children.  The catalyst for this post comes from a comment I heard the other day...A sweet friend said, "I was reading how the Lord was patient with the Israelites and repeated himself over and over...and I think I shouldn't really be so hard on the kids about obeying and listening to me...because God is so forgiving to me."  Well...wait a minute...

True...I could (and should) work on being more patient with my kids.  And True...God perseveres to bring His people into redemption....BUT...why do I teach my children Eph. 6:1..."Children OBEY your parents, for this is right."  Why do I teach...demand...obedience be shown to me and my husband?? 

 Well, it's because GOD is the goal.  NOT me.  He is the perfect parent.  NOT me.  I want them to have a understanding of how to relate to GOD.  NOT me.  If it was about me...I'd be training them because I don't want to be embarrassed...or inconvenienced.  Or I "wouldn't be so hard on them" cuz I'm tired and it's easier to let it go.

Prov. 19:18, "Discipline your son, for there is hope; do not set your heart on putting him to death."

I cannot let them get away with disobedience because GOD IS JUST AND HOLY.  They need relational understanding of authority.  They need to know that I'm teaching them about Heaven and Hell...two VERY real places!  My discipline of them (perfect and imperfect) needs to point to GOD.  When I mess up...I need to point out how it's not like GOD the perfect Father would do it.  When I do it right (PTL) I need to point out how it's like God the Father...
Hebrews 12:5-6, 11  “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him.  For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.”  "For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it."

I want my kids to know that to willfully ignore is to have no peace at all.  Is. 48:18, "Oh that you had paid attention to my commandments! Then your peace would have been like a river, and your righteousness like the waves of the sea;" 

Like a river glorious, is God’s perfect peace,
Over all victorious, in its bright increase;
Perfect, yet it floweth, fuller every day,
Perfect, yet it groweth, deeper all the way. 
   Stayed upon Jehovah, hearts are fully blest
Finding, as He promised, perfect peace and rest.

I need to keep focused...on WHY I do...WHAT I do...each day!  "OBEDIENCE is the very best way to show that you believe."  And...as a MomE...my obedience to train and discipline is the very best way to point to Christ for my Sweet Boobahs!

It's Grace