A few weeks ago I told my six-year-old son he needed to go to his room for ten minutes because of his behavior. He tried to argue with phrases like “I didn’t know I wasn’t supposed to disobey.” I repeated back to him my usual response to manipulative arguing, “I love you too much to argue.” His response… “No, you don’t love me, this last six years has been a lie!” Oh the drama. I had to keep myself from laughing this time at his attempt to get out of a consequence, but there are times when disciplining and instructing consistently can be overwhelming and exhausting.
Galatians 6:9 has become one of my favorite parenting verses. It says “So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.” I often recite this verse in my head when I am in a hard season of parenting.
There are moments as parents when doing “good,” like saying “no” when other parents say “yes,” or staying consistent when our kids are needing consequences can become tiring. There are moments when you don’t see the fruit of your labor. This verse encourages us not to become weary.
It says that if we are doing good we will reap a harvest of blessing! The “harvest of blessing” in this verse is not promising perfect kids if we “do a good job,” since none of us is perfect no matter what our age, but there is a blessing that comes from doing what God asks us to do.
I have made many mistakes as a mom, but have really sought out God’s wisdom in parenting. I wondered many times if the discipline I did was working at all. I’ve walked the walk of shame through the grocery store more than a few times, leading one of my screaming two-year-olds to a time out in the bathroom as people stared at me. I was tired and wondered if I would ever see the fruit of my labor.
I remember reciting Galatians 6:9 on some of my hardest days with a couple of strong willed children. Though my children aren’t perfect, I am starting to reap some of the blessing of the hard work of fighting those long battles, encouraging my kids, and praying for them. With our new two-week-old baby to care for it is a blessing to see our kids getting along, listening and being helpful, which is not something we’ve always experienced.
It is so easy to want to give into our children’s manipulation, or into our culture’s way of parenting. It is easier to disengage sometimes. Remember Jesus promised to never leave us forsake us. He is with us, and we can always ask Him for strength and wisdom.
Parents don’t give up teaching your kids, setting rules and following through with consequences. Don’t give up the habit of reading the Bible/devotions to your kids, even when they resist. It may seem too tiring at the time, but it is good and you will reap a harvest of blessing if you don’t give up!
Why do children love to take all of the toilet paper off of the roll?
It is so sweet when siblings love each other!
Do you have a memory of doing something you knew was good for your child where you ended up reaping a harvest of blessing for it?