Kingdom building and dirty diapers.

Some days this is what it looks like.

When we first started having children, the idea of raising and disciplining our children was romanticized. But after a few months of sleepless nights, countless dirty diapers, calming squabbles, and years of conversations around a Little Tikes play table, my reality of raising godly children for His glory set in.

And it was a weighted responsibility that no one could have prepared me for. How can I do this? I’m so inadequate!

But you see, teaching our kids about Jesus isn’t just about making sure they know their Bible stories and teaching them Sunday School songs. No, it’s so much more.

It’s choosing a voice of peace instead of a shout of anger when the milk gets spilled . . . again.

It’s having a full lap of little bodies and teaching them to share the space with love.

It’s taking the time to stop to be present and answering their hardest questions, like, “Can butterflies pray?” And the even harder ones, like, “Why should I forgive her if she hasn’t asked for me to?”

It’s teaching them to trust that the same God Who shut the mouth of the lion for Daniel is big enough to calm their fears of the dark.

It’s showing them that repentance and forgiveness, 70 times seven, applies even to mommies when you look them in the eyes and apologize for losing your cool.

And yes, it’s even in the emptying of the diaper can, showing them that the choice to serve with a glad and joyful heart isn’t always glamorous or showy. But it is hidden and for His glory.

If you are in the trenches of young motherhood and the responsibility of teaching them about the Lord is overwhelming, take heart. It’s a daily process and a transformation that doesn’t happen overnight. It’s day in and day out dying to yourself and parenting intentionally and with a Love that isn’t your own. It’s not just teaching them Bible verses, it’s loving them out for their own little eyes to see and their hearts to encounter. Be bold and grow Kingdom builders around your own kitchen tables, mama friend. It’s the greatest calling you have.

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your heartsImpress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.” (Deuteronomy 6:5-9)

This post originally appeared on From Blacktop to Dirt Road

 

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