Of course you do. When you become a mother you can hardly grasp how you can love someone so much.
But how do you love your children? Sometimes we love with a sloppy love. Instead of training, we laugh at their naughtiness. Some parents fear to discipline and take a stand against unrighteous standards with their young people in case they won’t love them back. They just want to be their friends. Instead of understanding that our children are not only our blessings to dote on, we forget that God has given them to us to train for His purposes.
True love wants the best for our children. We don’t want them to grow up disobedient, selfish, lazy, ignorant, and with an entitlement philosophy. We want them to grow up obedient, hard-working, diligent, and well-spoken adults who will bring blessing to this world. We don’t have a low standard, but a high standard for them--a biblical standard.
This does not happen automatically. It takes consistent training--day after day. But we will not give up, because we are training them on God’s behalf. They are ultimately God’s children and we are responsible to Him for the way we educate them.
Proverbs 19:18 says: “Chasten thy son while there is hope, and let not thy soul spare for his crying.” The Good News Bible challenges us: “Discipline your children while they are young enough to learn. If you don't, you are helping them destroy themselves.”
“The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame.” (Proverbs 29;15). When we give in to our children’s wants and whims instead of training them in righteousness and unselfishness we prepare them for later devastation and maybe even broken marriages.
Are we preparing our children for a blessed future or one of sadness and destruction? It takes daily consistency on our part.
Be blessed,
Nancy Campbell
Painting: The picture book by Hermann von Kaulbach.