Mom, Be Diligent!
“The thoughts of the diligent tend only to plenteousness; but of every one that is hasty only to want.” Proverbs 21:5
While reading this verse I began to think of the role of a mother. What an awesome responsibility we have to train up our children for God! If we try to rush through teaching our children to learn or understand something – we’re going to keep wanting them to learn it…but if we are diligent, we will continue to think of ways to help them understand what they need to know.
By the grace of God, my husband and I have raised four children that today are all living for the Lord, they love the Lord, and they are serving the Lord with their lives. They are all married and have children that they are now raising up for the glory of God. As I am sure every mother has noticed – all children are different – each child is an individual. As a young of mother of 4 (I was 27 when my 4th child was born) I discovered early that what worked for one child did not always work for the next.
My oldest son was very content to learn by listening. I could read to him, speak with him, watch an educational type program with him and he would soak it all up and begin to use the knowledge. When my second son came along – he had no interest in listening…he was a hands-on type of guy. When I sat with him to read a story, he was more interested in doing whatever the characters in the book were doing in the pictures! He didn't want to watch what the characters on the educational show were doing - he wanted to DO what they were doing! My 3rd child, my only daughter, learned in a very quiet way. She would sit and listen to stories…but she really was an observer – she knew the routine of my day, she knew what we were going to do next, she knew where everything belonged (not that she always put things away:) but, she observed her mommy and imitated me. This made her very independent so she tried to do everything herself…which is why she is the one that got lost in Santa Cruz at the beach at 2 years old, and why she got burned in the shower at 4 years old when she tried to “help mommy” by getting herself all ready for church. Our youngest son was a question asker, a direction reader; in many ways self-taught. He is the one that did the cool science projects like making a hover board in our garage that really hovered! He is the one I would find quietly doing his homework in his room without being asked.
Now, if you’ll notice one learned by listening, one by doing, another by watching, and yet another by inquiring – and somehow in our role as parents we needed to make sure that they all learned the same principles, the same concepts, proper manners and behavior, and the quality traits of good character. We had to make sure they understood that we loved them individually – and that we expected them to always do their best and to trust God for the rest!
Now, the natural question is “how do I do that when they're all so different?” That’s where the verse I quoted above comes in…you must be diligent and constantly think of ways to reach your children! You can’t rush through one set or plan of instructions and expect them to all learn the same way. You need to watch your children closely and observe them to see how they learn and then think of ways to get the message through to them. Jesus did that when he used parables to teach about the Kingdom of Heaven. Look at all the different examples he used:
The Kingdom of Heaven is likened unto…
A man which sowed good seed in a field
A grain of mustard seed which a man took and sowed in his field
A net that was cast into the sea and gathered of every kind
Leaven which a woman took and hid in 3 measure of meal
A treasure hid in a field
A merchant man seeking goodly pearls
A man that is a householder
A certain king
10 virgins which took their lamps and went forth to meet the bridegroom
A man travelling into a far country
Jesus covered every type of person in every walk of life so they could understand what the Kingdom of Heaven was like. He then expounded that in order to enter the Kingdom of Heaven, we must become as little children – fully dependent on Jesus as our Saviour!
Mom, earnestly pray and ask the Lord to help you to teach your children and to help them understand what they need to know. Be diligent in training your children – keep thinking of ways to reach them, remember it’s the "thoughts" of the diligent that tend to plenteousness (yielding abundantly, fruitful) – don’t rush things, don’t be hasty – and don’t give up!
Today our #1 son is a Christian school administrator, an author, and a college professor. Our second son pastors a church and is witnessing God’s miracles and blessing. Our daughter is fulfilling God’s will for her life at home as she is raising her 3 children, and serves the Lord teaching and singing for His glory. And our youngest son is an assistant pastor, he has written over 50 songs, plays 4 or 5 musical instruments (though we only provided lessons for 2). And all of our children have a passion to reach the lost for Christ - to God be all the glory!
I am so thankful that our children are intelligent, thoughtful, and by the grace of God are really awesome adults! I am truly blessed and thank the Lord for His work in their lives; He is deserving of all the glory. I am just a mom that by the grace of God sought earnestly to raise our children for the glory of God. We certainly don’t have all the answers, but we have a source that does– go to Him, ask Him; He’ll lead you, He’ll answer you, and He will help you.
"If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed." James 1:5, 6
Have a wonderful day!
While reading this verse I began to think of the role of a mother. What an awesome responsibility we have to train up our children for God! If we try to rush through teaching our children to learn or understand something – we’re going to keep wanting them to learn it…but if we are diligent, we will continue to think of ways to help them understand what they need to know.
By the grace of God, my husband and I have raised four children that today are all living for the Lord, they love the Lord, and they are serving the Lord with their lives. They are all married and have children that they are now raising up for the glory of God. As I am sure every mother has noticed – all children are different – each child is an individual. As a young of mother of 4 (I was 27 when my 4th child was born) I discovered early that what worked for one child did not always work for the next.
My oldest son was very content to learn by listening. I could read to him, speak with him, watch an educational type program with him and he would soak it all up and begin to use the knowledge. When my second son came along – he had no interest in listening…he was a hands-on type of guy. When I sat with him to read a story, he was more interested in doing whatever the characters in the book were doing in the pictures! He didn't want to watch what the characters on the educational show were doing - he wanted to DO what they were doing! My 3rd child, my only daughter, learned in a very quiet way. She would sit and listen to stories…but she really was an observer – she knew the routine of my day, she knew what we were going to do next, she knew where everything belonged (not that she always put things away:) but, she observed her mommy and imitated me. This made her very independent so she tried to do everything herself…which is why she is the one that got lost in Santa Cruz at the beach at 2 years old, and why she got burned in the shower at 4 years old when she tried to “help mommy” by getting herself all ready for church. Our youngest son was a question asker, a direction reader; in many ways self-taught. He is the one that did the cool science projects like making a hover board in our garage that really hovered! He is the one I would find quietly doing his homework in his room without being asked.
Now, if you’ll notice one learned by listening, one by doing, another by watching, and yet another by inquiring – and somehow in our role as parents we needed to make sure that they all learned the same principles, the same concepts, proper manners and behavior, and the quality traits of good character. We had to make sure they understood that we loved them individually – and that we expected them to always do their best and to trust God for the rest!
Now, the natural question is “how do I do that when they're all so different?” That’s where the verse I quoted above comes in…you must be diligent and constantly think of ways to reach your children! You can’t rush through one set or plan of instructions and expect them to all learn the same way. You need to watch your children closely and observe them to see how they learn and then think of ways to get the message through to them. Jesus did that when he used parables to teach about the Kingdom of Heaven. Look at all the different examples he used:
The Kingdom of Heaven is likened unto…
A man which sowed good seed in a field
A grain of mustard seed which a man took and sowed in his field
A net that was cast into the sea and gathered of every kind
Leaven which a woman took and hid in 3 measure of meal
A treasure hid in a field
A merchant man seeking goodly pearls
A man that is a householder
A certain king
10 virgins which took their lamps and went forth to meet the bridegroom
A man travelling into a far country
Jesus covered every type of person in every walk of life so they could understand what the Kingdom of Heaven was like. He then expounded that in order to enter the Kingdom of Heaven, we must become as little children – fully dependent on Jesus as our Saviour!
Mom, earnestly pray and ask the Lord to help you to teach your children and to help them understand what they need to know. Be diligent in training your children – keep thinking of ways to reach them, remember it’s the "thoughts" of the diligent that tend to plenteousness (yielding abundantly, fruitful) – don’t rush things, don’t be hasty – and don’t give up!
Today our #1 son is a Christian school administrator, an author, and a college professor. Our second son pastors a church and is witnessing God’s miracles and blessing. Our daughter is fulfilling God’s will for her life at home as she is raising her 3 children, and serves the Lord teaching and singing for His glory. And our youngest son is an assistant pastor, he has written over 50 songs, plays 4 or 5 musical instruments (though we only provided lessons for 2). And all of our children have a passion to reach the lost for Christ - to God be all the glory!
I am so thankful that our children are intelligent, thoughtful, and by the grace of God are really awesome adults! I am truly blessed and thank the Lord for His work in their lives; He is deserving of all the glory. I am just a mom that by the grace of God sought earnestly to raise our children for the glory of God. We certainly don’t have all the answers, but we have a source that does– go to Him, ask Him; He’ll lead you, He’ll answer you, and He will help you.
"If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed." James 1:5, 6
Have a wonderful day!
Hi Terrie I am so proud of you the LORD is using you in such big way to help others how to raise their children,I wish more ladies would read TTT.love Mom.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for this encouraging post. Just what I needed tonight.
ReplyDeleteBlessings~