The Two Choices Every Mother Faces Daily

I recently had a couple of challenging days with my children. My sons seemed to be more disobedient than usual, and I found myself not having the emotional stamina to discipline them consistently. My daughter let her guard down with the way she was talking with her brothers, and I found it easier to simply overlook her offenses. And so the days went on.

As I reflected on my lack of involvement with my children during the course of those days, I repented for my laziness and head-in-the-sand mentality. I sought the forgiveness of my King for taking the effortless route, rather than the path of nurturing and training my children in the admonition of the Lord, which I am called in Scripture to take.

The two choices every mother faces daily

You see, each day, I can choose whether to be selfish and have an superficial, non-confrontational day with my children, or I can choose to have an intentional day and invest spiritual truth into their hearts (tweet). For me, and for most moms, this would be considered a ‘hard’ day because if I’m on top of my children’s attitudes and sins (which unfortunately are not few and far between), between the four of them, I am spending a large chunk of my day pouring out spiritual truth, wisdom, and explanations from Scripture.

This is an exertion of my time, energy, and often frustration at not doing other tasks on my to-do list!

On the superficial days, your children will be left to themselves, and in the long run, Proverbs 29:15 predicts that a child left to himself brings shame to his mother. With the intentional choice, your children will be actively trained in the righteousness of the Lord, and will, according to Proverbs 22:6, not depart from it.

This illustration may clarify the point:

This choice stands before you every single day. Should you serve yourself? Or lay down your own desires and comforts for the sake of your children?

Now therefore fear the Lord and serve him

in sincerity and in faithfulness.

Joshua 24:14a

So, what would a superficial day look like?

Overlooking your children’s offenses to one another
Ignoring your children’s sinful attitudes
Neglecting to address issues of disobedience and rebellion
Allowing your children to indulge themselves in whatever worldly activity they desire

What would an intentional day consist of?

Zeroing in on your children’s attitudes as they come up throughout the day, and guiding them in the godly way to think
Lovingly pointing out in every circumstance how they either neglected to demonstrate, or beautifully personified, the Fruit of the Spirit
Opening the Word of God with them, and showing them experience by experience how God’s Word is relevant to their daily lives
Exemplifying an excitement, enthusiasm and wonder at a life of abiding in the Word of God

The results of opting for the superficial option

While choosing the more effortless option may seem easier at the time, in the long run, dear one, you and I are really shooting ourselves in the foot. If you persist down that path, your children will indeed bring you shame and disgrace. You will be setting them up for a life of following the way of the flesh, rather than the leading of the Holy Spirit.

The benefits of making your days intentional

When you choose a road of effort, time, and sacrifice for your children day in and day out, hard and trying as it may seem at the time, the rewards of righteousness, godliness, and peace that both you and your children will reap, will make every investment worth priceless riches on this earth, and for all eternity (tweet).

It truly is a joy and privilege to choose this high road!

NOTE: I would like to highly recommend Lou Priolo’s book, Teach them Diligently: How To Use The Scriptures In Child Training; a resource I refer to on a daily basis.

Which choice do you lean toward in your parenting? What would help or motivate you to make the scriptural choice of spending your parenting days being intentional?