What does a believing mamma long for more than anything else? Christian mothers desire that their children would be raised up in the Lord and follow him with all their hearts, souls, and minds. As faithful mothers, we impress upon our kids the importance of walking with the Lord. They might see from our family and church life that this is important. They may join in as long as it is fairly gratifying. However, when following Christ-centered pursuits goes against their own will or creates hardships, we point out that embracing freedom in Jesus means denying ourselves certain worldly things. Put quite simply: God’s way is better.
Caught between two worlds
At this point, kids may push back in the hope that they can enjoy the Christian life and their own selfish will at the same time. Many kids (and adults) want to have one foot in the world and one foot in the church to reap the bounty from both. There is a spiritual tug-of-war going on, and we want to help our kids to see this is a colossal supernatural battle for their hearts and souls. How children live, act, and use their time and energy are not neutral options. Rather, we are encouraging them to choose goodness and life over evil and destruction.
We mammas tend to worry about our babies and toddlers when they are dependent on us. Yet, they soon grow to the age where their minds and hearts are beginning to process and consider what is really worth believing. This season of parenting brings a very different type of worry for parents. We have been faithful according to Proverbs 22:6 to “Train up a child in the way he should go.” We wait anxiously for the next words, “that he might not stray from it?”
Parents, are we shouldering a burden that is not ours to carry?
A little child is easy enough to train up in the Lord. However, cultural context can tempt them towards worldly pleasures and cause them to question biblical truth. For example, many Scandinavian schools encourage children to dismiss ancient truths as myth and teachers attempt to indoctrinate their students into following their own hearts and feelings. Many children feel tempted to arrive home and question why their family is trying to uphold and follow biblical values. They begin to wonder if the secular ideologies held by their peers, teachers, and online influencers are worth considering after all. They may question why their family is not inclusive of these other worldviews and this struggle can understandably cause worry and concern for believing parents.
I’d like to pose a question here: parents, are we shouldering a burden that is not ours to carry? The Bible is clear that only God change a sinner’s heart. “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8).
The God Who Gives New Hearts
Ezekiel 36:26-27 reminds us, “And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.” In the final call, it is not parents who can spiritually save their child.
For clarity, let me just point out that the Bible does call us to be faithful in raising up our children to know God’s Word and to know God. Yet at the same time, providing eternal salvation for our children is not our burden to carry. Parents are stewards over their children, called to train and disciple them. We are merely servants of the mighty Lord God, and he is sovereign.
In the final call, it is not parents who can spiritually save their child.
It is only God Almighty that can make a spiritual heart transplant, and this provides peace and deep rest for parents.
A parent’s identity is not to be a savior but rather to be utilized as a tool in the Savior’s hand to help our children along the way. We can lovingly provide a good foundation for the work that God alone is powerful enough to complete. This is good news indeed for we, as imperfect parents, are not equipped to be a spiritual heart transplant specialist. Only God alone is capable in providing a Savior for mankind through his son, Jesus Christ.
Our children are and always will be close to our hearts. However, God alone can love and hold our children much more safely in his hands than we ever could. Mammas, this is good news!
Let us pray passionately and regularly, as we place our children in God’s good hands again and again. Does your child show signs of repentance and faith? Then faithfully walk with them in learning and understanding God and his Word.
Resting in a Merciful God
Do you have yet to see that change of heart in your child? May we rest in God’s way and timing which is perfect (for it truly is). Will he bring your child to saving faith? Honestly, we cannot guarantee that, but we stand assured in God’s goodness and sufficiency. His ways are higher than our ways.
God’s goodness and sovereignty is truly our resting place.
May we be prayerfully clear in showing our children man cannot serve two masters (Matt.6:24). We must remind them often of the glorious beauty of God and the destructive end in living for worldly pleasures. May we faithfully remind them of scriptures in teaching and songs, setting the foundation so that if and when God changes their hearts, they will be reminded of God’s good truth that mamma has taught them.
Mammas, a heart that faithfully trains our children about Christ and his Word yet is at rest in God’s perfect way and timing is a testimony to our kids and to the world. This will be a shining beacon in even the most secular contexts. God’s goodness and sovereignty is truly our resting place.
