Session 3

Accepting God’s will for your child

From #MomLife: An 8-Day Devotional

My grandmother wanted my dad to be a dentist, but he bought a petroleum equipment business instead. Maybe you dreamed that your child would become a doctor, but they followed God’s calling into the ministry. Most parents think we know what our children should be when they grow up, but our plans are not always the same as God’s plan for them. We’re not the first parents to have to let our children become what God created them to be. Even Mary, the mother of Jesus, had to let her Son follow God’s purpose for His life, whether she liked it or not.

Mary was an ordinary girl who said yes to God’s call on her life (Luke 1:38). She knew Jesus was destined to be great and reign over Israel (Luke 1:32-33), but aside from Simeon’s warning in the temple (Luke 2:35), she probably didn’t expect her beloved firstborn son to die a criminal’s death at the age of 33.

Ground your children in God’s Word so when God speaks, they’ll recognize His voice.

God may be calling your child to a job in a far-off city, or maybe it’s to a mission field in a dangerous country. As parents, we want our children to be happy and fulfilled, and if they can do that while living less than a mile away, all the better. We often want to protect them from all harm and encourage them to do what is going to keep them safe. But God loves our children even more than we do, and He has a purpose for them that is better than anything we could dream up (Jeremiah 29:11).

We all love to give our children gifts, but there are two things we can give them that will help them receive one of the best gifts of all, knowing God and following His will for their lives.

Two of the Best Gifts Money Can’t Buy

1. Roots

Ground your children in God’s Word so when God speaks, they’ll recognize His voice. Mary knew scripture and taught it to her Son. We can also take our children to church so they can learn more about Jesus on their level, just as Mary made sure that Jesus participated in Jewish religious traditions (Luke 2:41-42).

2. Wings

Love your children selflessly enough to let them go wherever God guides them. Mary wanted to see Jesus, but His world was expanding to include everyone willing to listen to Him (Luke 8:19-21). She had to allow Him to fulfill the purpose God had sent Him for.

Parenthood is a lifelong journey of bittersweet moments and putting aside what we want for our children in order to pick up what God wants for them. When we trust God enough to say “yes” to His call, as a mom who gives her children roots and wings, we’ll be able to, like Mary, be blessed among women (Luke 1:42).

Reflect:

• How are you “rooting” your children in the Word of God?
• Are you willing to give up your dreams to let God use them in the way He wants to?