The Standard

We've all been there. Opened our mouth and our mother came out! YIPES! I swore I would NEVER say that to my kids! I swore I would NEVER do that! So why is it that we cannot escape this?

Now don't get me wrong. I LOVE MY MOM! She is a wonderful woman and I am so thankful to God for placing her in my life because I have learned so much from her. But just like everyone (myself included), she had/has her faults. Faults I swore I would never follow with my own children.

And in doing so, my mother becomes the standard by which I raise my kids. I cannot serve two masters. And thus, I have this love/hate relationship with her, my children and my God. Which makes me irritable because I know better, and I falter and I fail my children and I blame my mother instead of myself. It's always easier to blame others than accept responsibility.

God's Word should be the ONLY standard by which I raise my children. If my focus is on HIM (not the negative traits I don't want to follow), then I will be able to raise my children up in the way THEY should go.

I am thankful that they are so forgiving. Whenever I fail them, I admit my fault...my sin...and ask their forgiveness. Some may see that as weakness. Yet in my weakness, He is made strong! My purpose in life is not to just raise my kids to survive in the world. Not just to raise them with the head-knowledge of God. But to raise up children who will LOVE and KNOW and serve the Lord all their days with all their mind, strength, body and soul. I am training them up to know that God's Word is the ONLY standard by which we should live. And thus, it should be the only standard when raising my children.