We cannot follow Jesus when we are asking him to follow us.

~ Kenneth Boa in Conformed to His Image

Image by Valiunic via Pixabay

Coming Alongside

Thinking today of the affirming relationship between Jesus' mother Mary and her cousin Elizabeth, how each encouraged the other in their miraculous calling as mothers. Mothers who would nurture two boys, who themselves would one day change the world. Each woman needed the other, each understood the other. Although Mary and Elizabeth were experiencing something others of us could hardly imagine, we all need affirming relationships with other women who can empathize and encourage.

Scripture speaks of being a Titus 2 woman, one who nurtures younger women in their journey through life. Life can be a struggle. I remember thinking how complicated it was as I tried to figure out this thing of being a wife and mother. In His wisdom, God gives older women instruction to teach the younger women the ways of womanhood. Too often we get our instruction from current culture, from the media, from the celebrities. More often than not, it's hollow and empty. 

I've had women through the years who have filled this need in my own life. Like Mary, some have been family. Others have been dear friends. Some have simply taken me under their wings for a season and nurtured me through it. For all, I am forever grateful.

I hope I'm that kind of woman to other women. I know I've had many opportunities and am thankful for the privilege to come alongside. With our move last year, most of my spiritual daughters were left behind. That saddens me, but I sense that God is opening doors once again. I'm eager to walk along a few new paths to empathize and encourage in the coming year.

Painting ~ The Day's Catch, Daniel Ridgeway Knight 1839-1924

Discipling Children

Mothers Lessons ~ Robert Walter Weir 1857

Thinking today about the devotional that was given last evening at our ladies' meeting. The gal spoke on the importance of training children in various capacities at the church and the importance of those who work with children to be loving God with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength--their entire being. She spoke particularly about Sunday school teachers and the impact they have on the hearts and minds of children. 

It's a grave responsibility to have oversight of children's hearts and minds. Giving my own children over to the training of someone else when they were growing up was not something done lightly, and at times I was their Sunday school teacher. A teacher makes disciples, and we were very careful who would have the privilege of reaching into the hearts and minds of our daughters and making them their own disciples. This was one of the reasons we chose to educate our children at home. Our children's spiritual education is far more important than the 3Rs, and much prayer and scrutiny should be given to the classroom a child walks into on Sunday morning or Wednesday evening, even if it is in the church.

There is always more than the lesson content being taught and being learned. The entire belief system and worldview of a teacher comes into play. I recall sitting in on one class when our girls were in their teens and having the wife of the teacher tell my daughters that surely they didn't want to sit beside their mother. I cringed at what was being implied about the parent-child relationship. I've taught every age level in the classroom and understand the vulnerability of children. They have a tendency to believe every word a teacher utters, whether explicitly or implicitly given. I would often ask a parent if her child had told her thus and so about what went on in class that day. Oftentimes the parents had not been told. Children don't tell everything they hear, but it enters the heart and mind nonetheless. First and foremost, spiritual training is the responsibility of the parents.

We ended the meeting last evening in prayer groups, praying for our Sunday school teachers and the responsibility to give God's Word clearly and without error. Some of the children come to the church without their parents, as did the speaker when she was a young girl. The church took her under its wing, and her mother came to know the Lord when this gal was a senior in high school. The impact a church can have on children can be a tremendous opportunity to share the gospel and train them in God's Word.

During the week, pray for those in your own church who will be training the children this week. These teachers are making disciples.

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