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When I had my first child, I was clueless. I had never changed a diaper. I wasn’t even sure how to hold him. I couldn’t believe the hospital staff was letting me walk out the door with this newborn baby. Did they have any idea how unqualified I was to take care of this child? I wasn’t ready for this!
My son’s whole life was in my hands, and the responsibility felt overwhelming.
I did my best. I really did. But I often felt like other moms knew things I didn’t know, like there was a special mama gene that I somehow missed out on. I loved my little one so much, but I didn’t feel confident in this new role.
Fast forward about five years, and my little one and I made it. He was walking, talking, and growing. Not only was he doing well, but he also had two younger brothers who were surviving under my care too. But I was still far from the super-confident mom I wanted to be.
Yes, I was more confident in the everyday things. I could change a diaper now. (Actually, it felt like changing diapers was all I did every day.) I had learned how to keep my little crew fed, bathed, and clothed…for the most part. But I still struggled with confidence as a mom, only now my lack of confidence seemed to show up in different places.
I struggled with things like correction and training. As my children grew, I grew with them, but I often battled feelings of inadequacy and fear that somehow I was going to mess them up or let them down by not being the mom they needed.
The area where this bothered me most was leading my children to God. I did the things I knew to do. I took them to church and VBS. I read them Bible stories and taught them to pray. But what if that wasn’t enough? What if I wasn’t enough?
During those early years, I continually brought my fears and self-doubt to the Lord in prayer. So often, He calmed my anxious heart and reminded me that He is my teacher and my very present help in time of need.
If I was going to raise my children for God, I would have to do it His way—by faith, obeying and trusting Him every step of the way.
In John 6, Jesus’ followers asked Him an important question: “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?” In other words, what great thing could they do to show God and others that they belonged to Him, loved Him, and were devoted to Him?
Jesus’ answer wasn’t what they expected. He said, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.”
That’s the key to anything we do for God: believing in Jesus. It is the foundation of our faith. Anything we do in the Kingdom must originate from and flow out of our faith in Him. Anything we do that isn’t rooted in faith in Christ will not last.
Our work as moms—and really in every area of life—begins with believing in Jesus and trusting Him.
When we put our trust in Jesus instead of in our own wisdom or ability, the power of the Holy Spirit moves in us and through us. We begin to see growth and progress as we walk with Him by faith rather than leaning on our own strength or trying to figure everything out ourselves.
In Acts 1:8, Jesus told His disciples, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Jesus calls all believers to be His witnesses. The word translated as witness in this passage is the Greek word martus. It is a legal term referring to someone who testifies to what they have seen, heard, and know to be true in a court of law. The Holy Spirit living inside of us gives us the power to be witnesses for Christ—to communicate to others what we have seen, heard, and experienced with Him.
Jesus’ early followers remained faithful witnesses even though they faced harsh persecution and even death for their testimony. That is why today the word martyr is associated with someone willing to suffer or die for their faith.
We are now Christ’s witnesses. Our witness is not only the words we say but also the life we live. As we surrender our lives to God, our lives become testimonies of Jesus Christ.
This isn’t only true of missionaries called to foreign lands or evangelists preaching salvation in crowded stadiums. It is also true in hidden places like our homes and in our everyday interactions with our families. The life you live before your children is a testimony of Jesus. Your witness before them is how they will first learn about God.
Every Christian mom longs for her children to have a real relationship with Jesus. But you cannot make your child believe. You can’t make anyone believe.
Jesus said, “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him, and I will raise him up on the last day” (John 6:44).
Salvation is the work of the Holy Spirit. We cannot force our children to believe, but we can tell them about Jesus.
Romans 10:14 says, “But how can they call on Him to save them unless they believe in Him? And how can they believe in Him if they have never heard about Him? And how can they hear about Him unless someone tells them?”
You, precious mama, are that someone. You are the first witness your child will have of Jesus Christ.
As you tell your children about Jesus and what He has done for us, the Holy Spirit uses those words to draw them to the Father.
And as you walk before them serving the Lord and showing them what it looks like to love and obey Christ, your life becomes a witness of God’s goodness and grace.
You may be saying, “But I don’t know how to do that. I don’t know how to share Jesus with my children or how to be a witness of God’s goodness and grace in my home.”
Neither did I. But God has given us the answer.
James 1:5 promises that if anyone lacks wisdom, all they have to do is ask God, and He will generously give them the wisdom they need.
Ask God to give you the words. Ask Him to teach you how to share Jesus with your children in a fruitful and effective way. Ask Him to make your life such a beautiful witness of Jesus that your children will desire to know and serve Him too.
He delights to answer that prayer.
When we walk with Jesus and bring our children along with us, we are showing them the path of life. And even if they veer from the path, they will still know where it is and how to find their way back to it. But how will they know if we never teach them the way?
Let your love for God and your love for your children motivate you to serve Him faithfully and bring your children along with you on the path. It’s not about following a checklist. It’s about living a life devoted to God, daily walked out in truth and motivated by love.
God bless you, precious mama. He’s got you. And you’ve got this.
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