Just The Way You Are.

[from my Parenting by Design devotion]

For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty;
(1 Corinthians 1:26, 27 NKJV)

SHAMING THE WISE?

In today's culture, these words are tough teaching for parents! We long for our kids to be wise by human standards - just look at the emphasis we put on grades, test scores, and college acceptance as measures of success and worth. We revel in achievements that put them in positions of influence such as cheerleader, student government, or captain of a team. We may envy the opportunities available to other children due to their family's wealth or social position.

While God calls us to use our minds to make wise choices, no amount of human knowledge can replace Christ's work on the cross. Ironically, real strength and wisdom are found by surrendering our pride and coming to God in humility and weakness.

Teach your children that real strength comes by submitting to God and humbling yourself before others.


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Thoughts from a Lady:

I fell into this mode of thinking from a young age. Growing up, I derived my own worth from and measured my success by my accomplishments. I cam to this realization as an adult and just recently. Reflecting on it has led me to see how that world-based thinking has influenced my perception of my children. Especially with my first child, I often felt a sense of competition with other children and parents - this was mostly due to my own insecurities as a first-time mother and never-perfect-enough-perfectionist. The Lord has shown me that I've been going about it ALL WRONG.

As I work with and wait on the Lord to help me heal from the disappointments of my own past failures and learn to live like a daughter of the King - loved and cherished unconditionally just the way I am, any way I am - I am learning to practice that same love with my children. I want to love them the way God loves me. I want them to know God's love because I've demonstrated the earthly version of it. I don't want them to submit to society's standards of worth and value as measured by their "accomplishments" and "contribution to the world". I want them to understand, believe and LIVE the truth that God loves them the way they are, that they are treasured by the King of Kings and that humility and submission to God are far greater accomplishments than that which earns the praise of man.