Mothering Monday

Ok I didn't like the word Mutterings at the end of Monday's title so it is just going to be Mothering Monday.

My thoughts today are about us as Christian parents teaching our children about Christ. How does one teach about Christ and knowing Him more without becoming legalistic and all about rules?

Most parents try their best and that's what one can do. I try to learn from other parents (from my teaching experience, my students' parents, from church, from any other parents) since I am a pretty new parent. I see some parents really focus on how to love others like we as Christians are taught to do. I'm sure that is what most Christian parents want to do. However, I notice that some have focused on the rules that we sometimes take out of Christianity more than loving. The "rules" become the focus instead of Jesus. Of course obeying the Lord and His teachings are of utmost importance because He does know best. My issue is with the "nitpicky" type of things: no awareness of secular music, movies, etc. Maybe being overly sheltered.

I know there is an age or time of maturity to everything and that each kid is different. I hope I'm not going to let Emma watch something that she won't understand even if we talk about it. But I want her to be aware of things at the appropriate time and hope we can teach her to be mature and react and live in a godly way.

How to have the balance between loving others/living for Jesus and doing things because of Jesus and with Jesus instead of it being "a rule" or tradition. I think we need to guard ourselves against that because a lot of kids will grow up hating Christianity because of "stupid rules" that parents have focused on or made up in their perception of something in the Bible.

Lord, help us to show Emma how to love people and spend time with you and do your will for her life. It is about You. Not us. Or us obeying the rules. It is about your will and us obeying that and loving You.

Now that is probably what we should focus on...

Until next time...