You Have Today!

I wanted to write about something God told me the other day. I was worrying and fretting about exactly how to make sure I do such a grand job parenting that all my boys turn out to be God-fearing, hard-working, loving leaders one day. Because if I’m the best mom that I can be then it will happen, right? But God spoke louder than my worrying thoughts and said, “How they turn out in the future is my job. You have today.” Ah! What a light bulb moment for me. If I want my boys to become honest men, I teach them today to be honest. I can’t be anxious about tomorrow when today is all I’m promised. So today I will teach them to be hard-working, and loving, and respectful, and all the other stuff. That’s all I’m asked to do. Then God will handle all of their tomorrows.

And another thing, under the surface of these “noble mother worries,” isn’t there something a little darker going on in my heart? Something like this: If I am good enough (performance) then my kids will be wonderful (success) and everyone will see that I am good enough (other people’s opinions). May God continually forgive me for my self-centeredness! Because even though wanting the best for my children is a godly thing to do, wanting my children to “do well” in order for me to gain earthly glory is sin. All the glory belongs to God, and that is something that I will remember only when I walk in complete humility before Him.