A Good Reminder

My husband and I have had conversations with several parents in the past few weeks about their children’s behaviors.  The children range in age from toddlers to adults.  And yet, all of the conversations have been focused on how to get children to behave in the appropriate way.

I’m always surprised when people ask how I get my children to behave.  After all I spend much of my day reminding them not to poke each other in the eye; asking them to pick up their toys and clothes; putting someone on the step for hitting someone else; and the list goes on and on.  How should I know how to get kids to behave?

Then, when a woman at Target asked me how I kept my oldest two from running away from me while shopping (they were walking alongside the cart), I really had to stop and think.  I’ve never really had a problem with someone running off while shopping (although, I can see that this might be a problem VERY soon with number three!).  How do I get my children to behave?

The answer came to me as we loaded up in the van.  My daughter began singing and asked us all to join her.  We were singing various Bible songs—“Jesus Loves Me,” “Jesus Loves the Little Children,” “The B-I-B-L-E” and so on.

It really isn’t me (or my husband) who gets the children to behave.  (And to be truthful, they really aren’t my children.)  It’s the Holy Spirit working inside of His children, helping them to show love to one another, to share their faith, to listen and obey.

So what’s my role, then, as their Mama?  Can I just sit back and let them go, now that they’ve been baptized?  Wouldn’t that be nice?

Hopefully you already understand my role.  My role is to continue to remind them, again and again, what God-pleasing behavior is.  It’s to use the tools God has given me: His word, earthly discipline and LOVE.

My two oldest are starting to understand the ways of the world.  This evening, my daughter said to me, “Mama, you are being mean!”  My oldest son chimed in, “Don’t you love her, mama?”  I explained to both of them that sometimes it takes something that seems mean to show love.  I love my kids so much that I need to use discipline to correct the behavior so that it doesn’t continue and eventually lead to something much worse.

I’ve commented to more than a few mothers that I’m glad my kids behave when they are with other people, but that I wish they would occasionally behave so well for me.  As the woman in Target pointed out, I wasn’t really paying attention very well.  I sometimes become so focused on the difficult task of training up my children that I miss seeing them put their training into practice.  I pray God helps me see the wonders He is working everyday.