I sat on the edge of my soon to be six year old’s bed. We had just finished our evening devotions, and he looked up at me and asked:
“What’s heaven like? “
“What will I do there? “
(Insert long pause and lots of pondering)
“What if I go to heaven first, and you aren’t there mommy? “
I instantly pictured my little boy, wandering around heaven lost without me. While I told him that God would be there, and He loves my little boy more than I do, I couldn’t shake the lump in my throat. Mommy panic overtook me.
My little boy without me.
It’s every Mommy’s worst fear.
I’ve had the dreams where he’s been kidnapped and he’s being driven away in a car with his little face pressed up against the glass crying for help.
Yeah, not good.
But, if you are a mom, chances are you’ve had similar fears and nightmares.
God Must Be Big Enough
In that instance, with those big eyes looking up at me, I knew what I needed to do. Make God big enough in my life, and the life of my children.
Our role as parents is to be there for them, protect, nurture, and love them. But the biggest gift we can give our children is to point them to God as their ultimate strength and confidence.
Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Matthew 10:37
Our children must not become idols in our lives. While they are the most treasured little blessings on this side of heaven, we still need to strive to love God far above them.
How do you strive to do this in your own home? Here are six practical ways that I’m striving to do this today:
Lay them down at Jesus’s feet daily
It takes daily laying our children down at Jesus’s feet. Our little precious, snotty nosed angels.
Surrender my fear and anxiety about their safety
Do you ever picture things happening to your child before they even happen? The child riding his bike down the road and getting hit. Your daughter taking a tumble down the stairs as she trips over that toy? I’ve talked to many parents (especially moms) that imagine horrible things happening to their children. This type of anxiety isn’t from the Lord, and we need to surrender our minds and hearts to Him! We need to take every thought captive.
We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:5
Have confident hope that God holds them close
You and I can have confident hope that God holds our children closer than we could ever. He loves them far more than we do. He holds their destiny.
Read and talk about heaven with my children
I want to read and talk about heaven often with my children. I want to strive to be better at talking about His love for each one of us.
Make Jesus famous in our home
Far above any sport’s figure or superstar singer, I want to make Jesus the most famous in our home. I want to lift Him up high through the way I talk, react, and live on a daily basis. What about you?
Don’t be tempted to give your children everything
“Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved.” – Helen Keller
While we want to protect and provide in every instance, it might be better to hold back from over-providing and protecting our kids. I’ll be asking God for wisdom and direction on this one.
