What kind of mother are you?

     This is a composition of my collected thoughts of things that I have heard, read, and have learned. I understand that I have much more to learn considering my oldest is 6 years old. Beginning with I have learned that "Proverbs 22:6 Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.” Is a live long process, a life long graduate course that produces more humility than it does experts. Wisdom would certainly enable me to approach my job with confidence, but is not an indispensable prerequisite. Being a good mother is not beyond the reach of any christian mother. When I feel like I am more incompetent in bringing up my children in nurture and admonition of the Lord, I worry not because it doesn’t automatic mean I am going to fail. I am learning that there are three qualities mothers need to produce well trained and disciplined adults. Which are joyfulness, authoritative command (in plain truth I need to work on), and consistency (also could work on). Of the three I do believe that joyfulness is the most important. It is something you can’t fake or learn, it must come from within. To have authoritative command and to be consist are all obtainable after years of trial, error and come in time. Joyfulness cannot be taught, it is a light that shines from the soul. I am growing up with my children..sometimes I feel like a grown up kid- still developing, not exceptional in any area, and amazed at the responsibility of developing and teaching my little people and watching how joyfulness can cover a multitude of my deficiencies. To be a christian mother is the most awesome, and demanding job on this planet. To “train” my children to be emotionally stable, creative, godly, productive, and self-disciplined requires a huge variety of skills. Sometimes I wish there was a crash course in wisdom so that I may find myself prepared, but there is not, but I can walk in the light as He is in the light and gives divine wisdom on an as-needed basis. It is my walk in faith that doesn’t provide answers for tomorrow but sufficient for where I am today.

     Why do I love joyfulness so much simply because it the easiest to come by and doesn’t require maturity and wisdom. The bible uses “joy” many times. Wisdom takes time to obtain but God can make you completely joyful in a matter of an instant. Joy is a by product of thankfulness and love. God-given joy is the best of all. I read a quote somewhere that said “A joyless parent can no more raise good kids than a skunk can raise skunklets that smell good” how do I know that to be true simply because I grew up in a joyless home. I finally experienced true joy when I came in contact with God’s word and received Him as Lord. Since then I know deep down what joy is, even when things are going wrong there is still joy. A child will do anything for a parent who enjoys them. Once they get into the joy zone they don’t want to do anything to mess it up. I am observing that a mother of genuine joy can deliver a more effective rebuke or correction in less time without damaging than a legalistic grump could do with a thousand bible verses and a hundred spankings. When you are a joyful mother you will be to your children what a flower is to a bee. We are the closest example of what God looks like to our children. How we react is what our children will assume of what God would do. Anger and aggression have no place in motherhood in developing young minds. A mother has lost control when she must resort to intimidation to command respect which will only be based on fear and hate. As I mentioned before my children are growing faster then I am obtaining wisdom and knowledge, but God (I love that phrase) will grant you wisdom of the hour and joy of eternity if you just believe the truth of Lord Jesus Christ.