I love the image of Moses in the Bible holding the Ten Commandments after God emblazoned them on stone tablets at Mount Sinai. God put them in his hand to pass along to the Israelites.
God’s placed something in our hands to pass along to our children, too: the stone tablets of His Word. Seeing my grandbaby Max surrounded by his fence (keeping him safe from outside dangers), reminds me that as mothers it’s our job to install the fence of God’s Word around our kids, serving as a perimeter in which God molds their lives.
As the fence installer, how are you doing? Are these principles firmly attached?
- Teach them God’s Word. Deuteronomy 6 states we’re to communicate God’s Word at every juncture: when they lie down, get up, walk on the road. How have you modeled biblical principles today?
- Coach them in what’s right and wrong. 1Kings 1:6 mentions how King David failed to ask his son, “Why are you behaving like this?” He missed an opportunity to teach appropriate and inappropriate behavior. Have we?
- Realize they are a gift from God. Psalm 127:3 instructs that children are packages with a bow on top, a heritage, a favor from God. Are we seeing them as a blessing? Treating them as one?
- Guide them in godly ways. Proverbs 22:6 instructs us to train up the kids in the direction of the Lord. In what ways have we “bent” them toward thinking God’s thoughts today?
- Discipline them. Proverbs 29:17 initiates moms as disciplinarians. It is our job to be the good cop and the bad cop. That’s hard as a “solo” mom in the home. Do we have both badges in our purse?
- Love them unconditionally. Luke 15:11-32 paints a picture of a parent being steadfast with a prodigal child. Are we committed to praying our kids “through” a rough season?
- Do not provoke them to wrath. Ephesians 6:4 speaks of a parenting style: do not badger or exasperate our children to anger. I call it “hitting below the belt.” Do we need to apologze?
- Earn their respect by example. 1Timothy 3:4 grants instruction: “Manage your family well, in a manner worthy of respect.” Managing is hard. Have you asked for outside help?
- Provide for their physical needs. 1Timothy 5:8 addresses our sole responsibility: to take care of them, the opposite being to abandon them. Have we called on Jehovah Jireh, our provider God, to come to our rescue?
- Pass your faith along to them. 2 Timothy 1: 5 serves as one of my favorite single mom verses. It proves the power of our influence. Paul complimented Timothy’s faith that had been passed down to him by his mother and grandmother. Is your son a Timothy?
Mom, God’s inscribed these mothering tablets of stone on your heart, and He will enable you in your fence keeping role. You can do it! There’s NO ONE like you.