My beloved fellow-parents....

"Be steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord" (1 Corinthians 15:58, NKJV)

Do you ever feel like everything you thought you knew about parenting doesn't work? Do you wonder what the answer is, living in a world full of self-righteousness and everyone doing what is right in their own eyes? Last time we met here, I was hearing a word from the Lord to talk about how important it is to keep our children's hearts from the giant idol of rebellion that we face in today's world. As a mom of twenty-three years to ten beautiful children who are the fruits of my womb, and my very best friends, God has taught me some beautiful things that I would love to share with you.

Shortly after the birth of our third child, God started knocking on my heart's door, and asking me if I would be willing to let Him plan my family. After much soul searching and laying down my pride, I accepted His gracious invitation and said yes! It's the best choice I could have ever made! Soon after the birth of our fifth, we were asked to take a sibling group of five needy children into our home. Once again I chose to lay down my pride and say yes to the plan that God had for our family. Over the next three years we added four more children/teens to our home. You can imagine the challenges of so many different children from different backgrounds. Many of them came full of anger and hatred toward parents figures, but God faithfully showed us how to win their hearts, and keep our home a happy and peaceful haven in the middle of it all. He eventually called us to start a full time ministry helping hurting girls to find healing and freedom in Christ.

Throughout the next few articles, I would like to share with you some of the keys He taught us over those years. First, Proverbs 9:10 (NKJV) "The fear OF THE LORD is the beginning of wisdom". This is the first key I want to look at. Let go of every other kind of fear. Choose and determine in your heart to trust God with your children. Choose to not control them through fear. Choose to believe that God has a good plan for your children, and that He can pick up even the broken pieces and make beauty out of every mistake they make. Every decision, every teachable moment, needs to come back to the foundation of the Word of God. You cannot have your own agenda. You need to show your children an example of laying down your life, taking up your cross, and following Christ.

Are you personally fully surrendered to Jesus, or do you have things in your life that you haven't been willing to surrender to Him? You need to lay down fear of everything else, and be willing to put your child on the altar of sacrifice for Him, just as Abraham did Isaac. Not on the altar of child sacrifice to the gods of the world, but on the altar of surrender to the Lord Jesus Christ. Be fully and wholly obedient to Jesus. Give your children back to Jesus. Reckon with the fact that they aren't truly yours but were given to you as a gift, for a season, and that one day you will give an account for them before God.

Teach your children the fear of the Lord. Teach them what it means to fear Him. Teach them the Word of God line upon line, and precept upon precept, here a little there a little. Disciple them. Teach them in practical ways how to apply the word of God to their life. I challenge you to lay your life out before the Lord, seek His face, and ask Him how you line up, according to His perspective of living in the fear of the Lord. May the Lord bless you and keep you and be gracious unto you. The Lord lift his countenance upon you and give you peace.

"Let us not grow weary in well doing for in due season we will reap if we faint not!" (Galatians 1:9, NKJV)

See you next time!