Parenting, the RIGHT way

I was really challenged today as we visited an Acts 29 church in Portland. In case you were wondering, Acts 29 is the organization my husband is applying to for the church plant. So far as I have learned more about the organization, I love it more and more. But the pastor was on a series and today talked about parenting and marriage. It focused more on the parenting part, which really grabbed my heart in a new way this morning. He started off giving those single people out there advice on how THEY MUST MARRY THE RIGHT PERSON. And he shared the different roles marriage material has in both a man and a woman. That is a whole other subject, but the verses I will share just to show the importance of each role is

Women:

1 Peter 3

1 Wives, in the same way submit yourselves to your own husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, 2 when they see the purity and reverence of your lives. 3 Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. 4 Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight. 5 For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to adorn themselves. They submitted themselves to their own husbands, 6 like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her lord. You are her daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear.

And for the husbands he read of a couple of Proverbs about the danger of a man who does not work to provide for his family.
Men:

Proverbs 10:4
Lazy hands make for poverty, but diligent hands bring wealth.

Proverbs 12:27
The lazy do not roast any game, but the diligent feed on the riches of the hunt.

Proverbs 26:15
A sluggard buries his hand in the dish; he is too lazy to bring it back to his mouth.

Just to add on...
When I was thinking of God's plan for my life for my future husband, these are the verses I focused on and looked for:

Psalms 1
Blessed is the one
who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
or sit in the company of mockers,
but whose delight is in the law of the LORD,
and who meditates on his law day and night.
That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither—
whatever they do prospers.
Not so the wicked!
They are like chaff
that the wind blows away.
Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.
For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.

Those are just little examples of how he started out and where my mind flew to. As he got into the parenting thing, the one thing that captured my attention most, was along the lines that your children are the ones who see ALL of you ALL the time. Those little blessings from God are watching; and we begin to understand how important it is to an even more stronger degree to show Christ's example in the household, whether its between you and your spouse or your daily actions and choices you make as a Christian parent. Now, that does seem to be common sense in the Christian life as a parent, but to be honest, this was the first time it really, truly grabbed my heart in a HUGE way. Is my heart truly "right?" or am I just setting up some "rules" to make sure my children get the Christian view of life? (Praying before meals, bed, taking them to church, etc). I was realizing I need to be showing my children from a young age how extremely crucial it is to make sure my heart is in sync with God. And that my hope and strength and joy should be all in Him on a daily basis, because my girls see me. They don't just want to see the "typical" Christian things to do. They NEED to see my heart.

With all of this, the conclusion I came to is that the only RIGHT way to parenting is the honest, selfless, unconditional loving GODLY way. RIGHT is GODLY.

So how to become an example through the stress of discipline or bad days that either mom or dad or the kids have? I am still learning myself, and sometimes I feel so inadequate of the job that I let fear creep in. Just like a spiritual baby I am a baby trying to learn how to nurture and love my children the right, Godly way. I am nowhere near to perfect. But with God's complete and total strength to rely on, that is where I am the example of Christ to my little ones. That is what gets me through.

My ministry is at home right now. I often forget that the raising of children is considered the most important ministry in life if you are called to motherhood or fatherhood. Its not just "raising kids", it IS ministry. It doesn't have to be in a church setting where we sit and learn Bible verses and stories; (although there is nothing wrong with that at all). It's your daily living example and a daily reminder to your children of who Jesus is and what the Gospel is. Don't just rely on the Sunday schools and classes and youth groups for your children to be involved with to learn about Jesus. Start now by getting your heart in sync with God. Even if you just need a little refresher spiritually, and begin to see the amazing things He does through you just as you raise your babies and kids. I know I have some changes to make and I am not afraid to say so. I am thankful for God's Grace and the fact that He opens my heart on mornings like these and helps me to see these things.

Deuteronomy 6:1-8
1 These are the commands, decrees and laws the LORD your God directed me to teach you to observe in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess, 2 so that you, your children and their children after them may fear the LORD your God as long as you live by keeping all his decrees and commands that I give you, and so that you may enjoy long life. 3 Hear, Israel, and be careful to obey so that it may go well with you and that you may increase greatly in a land flowing with milk and honey, just as the LORD, the God of your ancestors, promised you.
4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.[a] 5 Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. 7 Impress 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. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.