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03/16/15

the one thing we can’t give our kids

As a mom, there are many things we can give our kids.

We can give them our time, our attention, and our unwavering support.
We can give them new experiences to stretch them and boundaries to protect them.
We can give them a “yes” as much as possible, and a “no” when it matters.
We can give them love in the form of discipline and acceptance no matter what.
We can give them surprises and smiles and deep-bellied laughter.
We can give them a shoulder to cry on, a big hug and a listening ear.
We can give them our trust when it’s earned and forgiveness when they mess up.
We can give them encouragement and advice and a different perspective.

But there’s one thing, {the most important thing}, we can’t give them.

one-thing-we-cant-give-our-kids

Moms, we can drive our kids to church, and we can tell them about Jesus.
We can sing worship songs in the car. We can memorize scripture.
We can pray as a family, read daily devotionals, take them to youth group and send them off to summer camp.
But we can’t give them our faith. We can’t make them believe. 

More than anything, I want to give my kids a deep, abiding relationship with Jesus. But I can’t.
I can’t turn their hearts toward Him.
I can’t give them a love for the Word.
I can’t make them trust Him.
I want to, but I can’t.

Now that my kids are getting older, I’ve been thinking about this more. It’s starting to come up in conversations with friends over breakfast and as we walk out the door at Bible study. We question if we’re doing enough. We don’t want to mess this up. We don’t want to do the wrong thing.

Because it matters to us. It matters a lot.

Instead of focusing on all I can’t do, I’m want to invest in what I can.

#1: I CAN PRAY.

Prayer is “seeking the presence of God and releasing the power of God” into the lives of our kids. It is for them and for us. When we pray for our kids, we are releasing them to the God who made them just as they are and loves them more than we do.

Every prayer we pray for our kids is an investment in the lives for eternity. Not one single prayer spoken over their lives is ever prayed in vain. God hears and holds each one of them.

When we approach the Lord on behalf of our kids, we can believe with confidence that our prayers are covering them, strengthening them, leading them, protecting them and blessing them.

Our prayers for our kids matter.

#2: I CAN SHOW THEM.

Yes. It’s important to seize every teachable moment we have with our kids and plant seeds of truth in their hearts. But more than that, we can to show them.

We can show them that we believe in a great, big God by letting them see us step out in bold faith.
We can show them that God’s Word is essential and relevant by not only reading the Word but doing what it says.
We can show them the beauty of the forgiveness and grace by letting them see us mess up and ask for forgiveness.
We can show them our dependence on Jesus by letting them hear us pray.

Our kids learn more from what they see than what they hear. What message is our life teaching them?

What we show our kids about Jesus matters.

It’s true. I can’t give my kids my faith. I can’t make them believe.
But I can show them that this God we believe in is real and worth pursing with all their heart, and I can pray.

Remember, our God is faithful. He will do it.

So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. 1 Corinthians 3:7

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