God is the Potter: Mothers and Fathers Are the Clay

There are countless reasons why children are a blessing, but this one dominates my thinking: God does His best work in the life of a momma and daddy through the rearing of their children. As parents, how is it possible to mold and fashion the soul of a child without the guidance of the One who formed that child in His very own image? When I reached the point of desperation and admitted that I could not parent in my own strength, God began to teach me through the gracious instruction of His Word and the empowering of the Holy Spirit. I believe God matures parents through the rearing of their children, and that dear parent, is a blessing.While He did that for me; He will do that for you, also. You are an ambassador in the hands of your Creator to mold and shape the lives of your children. They do not belong to you as possessions; rather, they are on loan to you by God who has entrusted them to you for a season. Since you have chosen RDS as your preschool, the school is partnering with you in the Christ-centered, biblical worldview teaching of your children. Similarly, I hope you are worshipping at a solid, Bible believing, Bible teaching church!When I visit the classrooms, I delight in seeing children show kindness to one another. If not, they are being lovingly corrected.  It is heart-warming to see children obey their teachers who speak to them with voices that are calm and expectant and whose eyes look at them directly. The teachers INspect what they EXpect.  A teacher’s voice and her words are a teaching tool; one that can and should be used in the home also.  Parents, speak with a tone of confidence and carry out your duties with a posture of leadership. While a child might act like he or she wants to be the ‘boss of self,’ every child needs to know that there is an authority in the home, the ambassadorial parent. Don’t we as parents find great comfort, assurance, and blessing in God’s sovereign authority over us and all things, as we navigate life?God’s Word says that where your treasure is, there your heart will be also (Matthew 6:21).  As we begin a new year, take time to ask God to search your heart and show you what He wants you to treasure. Write those things down and ask God to work in and through your life so that He might be glorified on your journey to becoming the person (mother/father) He wants you to be. Perhaps He is showing you to think about readjusting your priorities. Is reading the Bible and prayer an intentional part of your life? Is the Holy Spirit convicting your heart to dial down your engagement with social media or dial back watching Netflix? Are you memorizing Scripture and making family devotions a priority? If your heart’s desire is to answer ‘yes’ to these questions, but you honestly can’t at this point, then ask God to give you that ‘want to.’   It’s a prayer that I believe He will answer, and your honesty is the point of initiation.While everything in our culture seems to be changing, God’s principles for biblical child-rearing never change.  You can prepare your child for his or her tomorrows by modeling your faith today. For example, use situations of accidental exposure, such as your child seeing a news flash on television, to respond in faith. A long sermon or explanation is not necessary. Simply say something like, “Honey, let’s pray that God works in this situation.” Then, calmly turn off the television and pray. A confident and calm voice and a short expression of faith in God is a seed planted in the heart of your child.  Your child will remember your action of FAITH and TRUST in God, and your heavenly Father will cultivate that seed.[embed]https://youtu.be/W3ci4opClK4[/embed]