Quiet Times for Moms of Littles
Editor’s Note:
This is the fourth in a collection of spiritual reflections especially for moms of small children on the famous Scripture on Love in 1 Corinthians 13 – perhaps these are the most often quoted verses in the Bible. This series was written and compiled at the end of 2019 by two of our sisters in Christ – Jan Mitchell and Mary Shapiro (see their bios at the end of this article), who lead a group of young mothers in church and wanted to create a quiet time series for them on the theme of Love. This series is the fruit of that effort. It seems the Holy Spirit wants us to pay special attention to this quality of love – it does not boast – since our sisters are offering us a “Part Two” of this one!
By Glenna Boston
1 Corinthians 13:4
Why do humans boast?
We begin by considering two very different routes to building up a person’s confidence and self-esteem: by boasting; or by affirmation from others.
Boasting - talking with excessive pride and self-satisfaction about one's achievements, possessions, or abilities
Affirmation - emotional support or encouragement
Esteem built from affirmation comes from:
- the Scriptures;
- positive events and circumstances;
- Mom.
A mother’s role in building esteem in her children is by
focusing on character;
seeing things the way God sees;
gaining self-worth from God and his words.
Know Your Why
The temptation to start boasting about your children starts when they are very young. It goes back to our hearts and why we are saying the things we are saying. We need to teach and model 1 Corinthians 13 for our children.
Here are some other scriptures that urge us to focus on our child’s character and their heart – as opposed to their behavior or achievements.
Malachi 4:6 "He will turn the hearts of the parents to their children, and the hearts of the children to their parents; or else I will come and strike the land with total destruction."
It's easy to fall into the trap of lies that Satan likes to whisper in our ear. The world can tell us that we are not enough and that we need to get our self-worth from our children.
Proverbs 14:1 "The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down."
Genesis 11:1-9 The Tower of Babel. The Babylonians wanted to make a name for themselves by building a mighty city and a tower that reached to the heavens. If we are not careful, we can do the exact same thing with our children. They can become our Tower of Babel.
We can focus so much on what children can or cannot do, in order to make a name for ourselves.
Proverbs 22:15 states clearly, "folly is bound up in the heart of a child," so we should not be surprised by anything they do...good or bad.
Jeremiah 17:9 tells us, "the heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure." This includes our mindset about our own children.
Jodie Berndt, author of the series, "Praying the Scriptures for Your...(Children, Teens and Young Adult Children) wrote that our children "expose the wrong thoughts and desires of our own hearts." These can be things like self-righteousness, impatience, and a desire for our kids to succeed so we will look good.
Exposure of our own hearts is an opportunity to grow in our understanding of God's love.
Know your why:
- It is important for you to examine your own heart,
- Because our hearts are deceitful above all things, examine your motives behind what you are saying.
- Children do need encouragement but our hearts need to be pure in how we communicate that encouragement.
Boastful Versus Grateful
Are you saying these things because you…
are insecure?
competitive?
think this is what moms are supposed to say about their children?
are grateful God is helping them grow?
are sharing an example of how they overcame a challenge?
are being purposeful in sharing in order to encourage others?
are being purposeful in sharing to your child?
1 Corinthians 11:30 "If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness."
Boast in the ways that you see that God is making you strong and calling you to grow in your weaknesses. Talk about how God's mercy gives you another day despite your weaknesses.
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