Life with a toddler lately has been showing me several areas I need to work on spiritually. I didn’t know how much I would learn from my children; I wasn’t aware of how my children would stretch and grow my relationship with God.
A few incidences have happened lately where I know the Holy Spirit was giving me words to say that were meant more for me than they were for my children. Here are some lessons I’ve learned from mothering my littles:
One time recently, I was talking to a little about obedience. He hadn’t been listening or obeying me, and every time I started to talk with him about he kept interrupting and trying to tell me he loved me. I thought for a moment and then these words came out of my mouth: “No, you don’t. If you loved me, you would obey me.”
Hmmm, that sounded a little familiar.
And by this we know that we have come to know him if we keep his commandments. Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may be sure that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked. 1 John 2:3-6
Do I walk how Jesus walked, living and acting as his hands and feet?
Do I obey his commands to love God with all that I am, holding nothing back?
Do I ALWAYS love my neighbor as I love myself?
In another instance, a child was having a very disrespectful attitude and throwing a fit about something. After we got him calmed down, I was leading him through a prayer to apologize to God for the way he was treating Momma and Daddy. He couldn’t do it. I was giving him the words to say, but confessing what he had done and apologizing was too hard. What was going on in his heart? I don’t know,but this was another light bulb moment for myself.
When I don’t want to pray, what is going on inside my heart?
Is there something that needs to be confessed and repented of?
my #toddlers teach me spiritual lessons ALL THE TIME. Here are a few that have really made me stop and think lately. Click To TweetI pray that these lessons will sink deep into my heart.
I pray that I will show the unconditional love of Christ to everyone I meet.
I pray that I will confess and repent when needed, and that I will be able to be an example to my children of someone who lives her beliefs no matter what the world may say.
These have been hard lessons to learn and work on, maybe even harder because my children have been the instruments to get them into my thick skull. I am always amazed at the things I learn as a mother and I am sure there will be many, many more lessons learned as the years go by.
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I love the idea of stopping him and leading him to pray for forgiveness. I need to do more of that!
It’s only happened a couple of times, I remember my parents had us do that sometimes. I’ve noticed with Seth you have to get to the heart of the issue, which lately has been his heart.
What a great revelation! Our children can teach us so much about our relationship with God. One of the devotionals I read says that we should try to be “God with skin on,” so I’ve been trying to incorporate that into my mothering.
That is a great quote Tiffani! Thanks for coming by, hope to “see” you again soon. 🙂
Children really do teach us so much… and humble us!!! I can’t tell you how many times my children have embarrassed me. I don’t always appreciate their “sanctifying” work but I’m thankful God cares enough about me to use my children to mold me into a better person!
One of the most surprising things about motherhood to me was how much our children teach us about ourselves…I never realized that they would be teaching me (sometimes even more so) than I teach them! My daughter has trouble asking forgiveness also…I try modeling it by praying for forgiveness for something I need to repent…getting her to do it on her own is still a work in progress, but aren’t we all? Great post and reminders for us all! <3
Isn’t it crazy how much we learn as mommas? Yes, I agree, one of the best ways that we can teach our children how to talk to God, is modeling it for them. By showing them what it means to ask for forgiveness, repent, and continue on in grace.
Rebekah! I love it! It’s amazing how kids can teach us so many different Spiritual lessons.
Thanks, Lauren!! It is so amazing to me how God uses our little ones to teach him more about himself, about ourselves, and about grace and mercy!
It always amazes me how God uses our children to reveal our own sins. Love your honesty in this post!
Thanks, Leigh-Ellen! It isn’t something that I was expecting from motherhood.