Not Taking Too Much Credit

I was challenged yesterday by a post I saw on Facebook by Lysa TerKeurst.  She said,

"If you had an unglued mama moment today, let me encourage you with 3 simple mothering perspectives you must hang on to:

1. Don’t take too much credit for their good.

2. Don’t take too much credit for their bad.

3. Don’t try to raise a good child. Raise a God-following adult."

Wow.  I am in my 8th year of parenting, and this is a new revelation to me.  I can't tell you how many times I've taken delight when someone comments that my children are well-behaved, or cringed in embarrassment when they've been, shall we say, less than perfect.

It's so easy to feel judged by my children's behavior as a parent, as a Christian, and as a pastor's wife.  I feel like my children must be "good" for people to have a favorable opinion of me.  This post, as brief as it was, has taught me so much.

First, that my children aren't really mine, and I need to raise them to my Father's standards, not mine, or anyone else's for that matter.  God's standard is the goal, and anything less is failing my children.

Second, my children are human, just like I'm human.  They have good days and they have bad days.  I need to extend to them the grace that my Father extends to me.

Third, I need to stop worrying what other people think.  It's just no way to live.  I need to worry about what God thinks.  He is my Creator, my Father, and my Savior.  Being pleasing to Him is all I need.

Please pray for me as I try to be the parent that God wants me to be to His children.