Do You Love Your Children?

Did you ever notice that in Titus 2:3-5, God commands older women to teach young women to love their children? Most would think that was silly, "Of course mothers love their children?" Do they? Do they really? Many women today don't even want the blessing of having children. They will take any other blessing the Lord wants to give them but not children. If they are blessed with a few children, they decide they don't want any more since children take up so much of their time, exhaust them and there are so many other things they want to do with their lives. Some mothers who can nurse their children decide they don't want to because of the inconvenience. This is loving yourself more than your children since every study has proven the superiority of breast milk to formula.

Many Christian women don't love their children enough to do everything in their power to be home with them full-time training, disciplining and teaching them about the Lord and His ways. If they are home full-time, they'd rather be on the Internet or watching television than to be with their children teaching them how to cook, clean and read. Many mothers today don't really love their children enough to sacrifice themselves and their time for them. They're too interested in seeking pleasure, being entertained or trying to find fulfillment through a career rather than giving their lives away for the sake of their children. True love is sacrifice and commitment. 

"Let me be very honest with you. I never met a kid who got to college his freshman year without a car who seemed to be bitter and resentful for that but I met a plethora of pretty young girls with very expensive cars that seemed to have monumental issues. Do not sacrifice your children to buy them trinkets. Are you hearing me here? Do not neglect them by getting them stuff they don’t need at the cost of what they do need; the security and the safety of a father and mother who are there and who care" {Matt Chandler}.

As an older woman, I am teaching you to love your children. Have a lot of children, if the Lord blesses you with them. God welcomes every single baby into this world and being blessed with another baby is a good thing. Welcome them freely into your life. For many, pregnancy and childbirth are difficult and painful but the rewards compare to none other. Make sure you do everything you can to be a keeper at home and raise your children yourself. It takes almost all of your time to train and discipline them properly. However, don't be so overprotective of them that you protect them from your husband. They are your husband's children too and most fathers want to train their boys to be men. This is hard for us to watch at times but it is so worth it when they grow up to be strong, godly men and leaders. {I am not speaking of physical abuse here.}

Take the time to discipline them consistently when they are young so they will be enjoyable to be around as they get older. Make sure they obey you immediately. Don't let them argue and fight with each other. Deal with it immediately. Tell them that there is peace in your home and that God doesn't want His children to argue and have conflict among them. Don't let them complain and fuss. God hates complaining so we must do what we can to train our children not to complain. Be affectionate with them and tell them often how much you love them and how much God loves them.

Words from Rachel Jankovic: "God does not share our sentimental view of motherhood. While he delights in children, he does not speak of them in some cutesy photo shoot kind of a way. He compares them, not to tiny fairies, or dewy flowers, but to arrows;  to be weapons in the hand of a mighty man.

God does not tell us to desire the blessing of children because their cheerful voices will make our houses feel cozy. He tells us to desire children who will contend with the enemy in the gate. It is natural and good that we delight in the little things with our children. God didn’t command mothers to rejoice over elbow dimples and the smell of a new baby’s head. He didn’t tell us to smile over them while they sleep, or to love the way they look in footie pajamas. He didn’t tell us these things, because He didn’t have to. That is the natural love of a mother for her children.

But the love that we need, the reminders we need, is to love them, not for our own sake, but for what God is doing through them. We need a supernatural love. We need to believe in the victory, to mother in faithful confidence. 'Out of the mouth of babies and infants, you have established strength because of your foes, to still the enemy and the avenger.'{Psalm 8:2} These mouths we are feeding — these are the mouths that God has ordained to use to silence the enemy."

If you love your children deeply, you will sacrifice your life for them by having them, disciplining, training and raising them in the ways of the Lord. If you work outside of your home, yet your greatest desire is to be home full-time with your children, I encourage you to read Laine's Letters who raised five children being home full-time while her husband never made more than $30,000 a year and they paid off their home in Southern California or The Mother's Companion {read the archives on the side bar} that were written by a mother who had nine children and lived in a small home in Illinois on a farm with very little money. Remember, with God ALL things are possible and He wants mothers to be home full-time deeply loving on their children so they will grow up to be mighty warriors for Him!

The aged women likewise...teach the young women... 

to love their children.

Titus 2:3, 4