Are my Children my Idol?

2014

God is a jealous God. He wants a Bride who desires and chooses only Him. Idols are something our Lord hates deeply. It is adultery when we put something before Him... including our children. If we are to be the Bride that He has called us to be, we must lay aside everything that hinders us. I'm not saying to forget about your children, but rather to lay them at His feet. This is something that took me a while to learn.

"Thou shalt have no other gods before me."

Exodus 20:3-5

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Prayer time for me as a busy Mom of three kids is usually on the go, while I’m washing dishes, or folding laundry. Sometimes, while I’m doing normal mom things, I feel Holy Spirit so strong that He stops me dead in my tracks and causes me to fall to my knees for what my children think of as “real” prayer time.

Today was one of those days. The past few weeks I have felt the Lord stirring my spirit for change. I’m not sure what kind of change, but I know He is preparing me for something new—a new phase and chapter of growth.

I associate change as a stressful and scary time with lots of work. I have been filled with anxiety of unknown change I feel is coming. I like structure, organization, and a plan. God is pushing me out of my comfort zone! I am learning that His plan is always better than my own and I should rest in the peace of knowing He’s in control even when I feel out of control.

Anyone who knows me will tell you that my children are my life. I always put their wants, needs, and desires above my own. I stay at home with them and even homeschool them. I love being with my children and watching them grow and learn. They are everything to me!

My oldest son will be turning thirteen in a few months. I thought I was prepared for my children to grow up and become teenagers, but as his birthday gets closer, my heart feels heavier.

I never had to have that first day of school feeling with my children as they leave home for the first time, because I have always homeschooled them. I could only imagine how it would feel. My son's rapidly approaching thirteenth birthday has stirred up a lot of those “first day of school“ emotions inside of me. Feelings of leaving, growing, and CHANGE.

From the day I found out I was pregnant, I knew God had blessed me with a miracle. I knew that the child I was carrying was not my own to keep, but God's child for me to teach and lead to Him. God gave parents children to train to follow in the ways of the Lord so they will not depart from Him. 

“Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” 

Proverbs 22:6 (ESV)

Our children are not ours to keep, but to train, teach, and guide to be Godly men and women that will follow after God's heart. It is tempting to want to keep our children and hold onto them for ourselves, when in fact they were never ours to start with. They are children of God!

Children have been given to parents as a gift—a treasure to keep safe and guide to the heartbeat of God. Knowing this in my spirit,  I challenge myself daily, saying, “These children are not my own, but Yours, Lord. Give me strength and wisdom on how to teach them to follow You.”

So, as my son transitions into his teen years, my mind grieves for him to stay small and to be my baby, but my spirit rejoices. I know he is growing to be an amazing man of God. He is not my own, but Yours, Lord! It is a daily struggle to remind myself that my kids are not mine. Changing my mindset is my biggest challenge as my children grow older with each day. There's that word again: “change“.

Today, as I was brought to my knees, the Lord asked me, “What are you holding onto that you aren’t giving to Me 100%?” My first reaction was, “NOTHING, Lord, I give my all to You.” Then I stopped dead in my tracks... My children! Do I totally trust my children with anyone? Do I trust God enough to let go of my children’s every need?

My “mom brain“ is programmed to say, “Mom knows best. Be a momma bear. Protect your children at all cost.” Giving up 100% would make me a failure in my earthly mind—it goes against every fiber of my being.

How can I trust God with my own life, yet not trust Him 100% with my children’s lives? Do I hold my children as an idol? Do I put my children first, even above my amazing and wonderful God? My “mom brain“ tells me it’s ok, because that’s what moms do. However, it’s not ok. I don’t want anything in my life to be placed above my Father—even my children.

I had to ask God to forgive me and once again, I gave myself and my children 100% back over to Him. Now, the change I feel coming doesn’t seem so scary. My baby boy getting older doesn’t hurt my heart as bad knowing God is in control. I have given my children and life 100% over to God and I don’t want anything to be an idol in my life. Nothing!

Giving my children to God once doesn’t mean I won’t need a reminder from time to time to do it again. I may have to hit the refresh button on my thoughts. Maybe this change is really just a shift—a shift of my old ways of thinking and replacing it with new. My children are not my own, but Yours, Lord.”

What is your idol? What do you think the most about? What do you spend most of your time doing? What do you put before God? Is it your husband/wife, children, job, social media, schedule, home, money, or housework?

I encourage you to ask Jesus to forgive you for putting anything above Him, just like I had to do today. Join with me and give your children to the Lord 100%. Relax in the peace of God, knowing that while parents know a lot, God knows BEST!

Change means we are growing, learning, and moving forward. Let the Lord change you and mold you to be a parent after His own heart. Teach your children to put nothing before Him. He wants to be #1 in your life and in your children’s lives!