The Life of a Young Navy Wife

{Surrendering ourselves to God}

Did you know that having children rings an alarm that can blare a constant reminder? 

Selfish

Selfish!

Selfish!!

Well maybe not for you but speaking from experience as a young mother i've never been more aware of how selfish I am.  I remember when it hit me that this culture now looks at having more than 2 children as a mistake I stopped and thought, wow that's selfish.

Having two children doesn't require a larger vehicle. When traveling in an airport you have two hands to hold each child.  It isn't such a financial burden, and its easier to handle only one or two.

If we can keep the number of children down then we have more time for ourselves, right?

Now don't misunderstand I know plenty of families who only have two children and this is not the case for them* 

But if you step back and glance over our culture this is the message being whispered.

The mom with three or four children gets the disapproving glance.  When out to the store she is being looked at as not doing a good job because the third child is hiding in a clothes rack while the first and fourth child are having a pinching war.  Hectic as it is for her no one offers an encouraging word. Instead, they sort of shake their head and believe she should have more control if she is going to have that many children.

So we have started to have fewer children to fit into this message that its easier on us not having as many.

How we're robbing ourselves though! Now I don't intend to send you the message that its time to have more kids but I do want to make a point that children are a gift from God.  They matter to Him and its clear throughout scripture of his desire for us to love children.  They teach us that its not about us, and with their slimy hands they remind us how to have fun again.  They reveal the dirt in us and allow God to use them to clean up the mess in our hearts.  Being a mother to only one right now i'm learning a great deal about myself and how very wrong i've been going about following God even.

This morning I went to the Bible to find a specific passage on how Jesus tells us to follow him we have to deny ourselves and pick up our own cross.  (Mark 8:34)

But in searching I flipped around Philippians and Paul's word really touched me on having an attitude like Christ.

Phil 2:3-4

Don't be selfish; don't try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves.  Don't look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.

 

As a mom being more concerned for my child isn't always the most difficult in situations when he is hurt, or needs his mom. Its in the moments when i'm exhausted and he's pulling at my leg whining that I'm reminded of how quickly I desire to be selfish. 

We can't mother in the way God desires when we're apart from Him.

We have to die to self daily because he has plans for us, oh boy does he ever! Those dreams and visions he's working out in you right now are going to be something to expand the kingdom of heaven, trust me on this!

But its going to take a whole lot of surrendering ourselves to Him in order that he can mold us to be more like Christ. 

Its going to hurt and we're not going to look like the rest of this world but if you bear with him through the times he allows you to go through the fire, the results will be a woman who gives thanks to the Lord and proclaims his greatness. (psalm 105:1)

Going through life the 'safe' way along with the world will bring you all the worldly comforts.  But going through life God's way will bring you joy and a citizenship in heaven for all of eternity.

Its your choice.

Praying for you today!

Laura