Priorities

"Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends."John 15:13

The Lord has been talking to me about my priorities lately. As a mom of three (almost four) little ones (age 4 and under) I've had to slowly adapt to putting the needs of my children over the wants of my flesh. It's not that I let my children run my life, but that I choose to lay my life down in order to love them like the Bible says...

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"And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise."Deut. 6:6-7
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The fact is, I cannot teach my children diligently, if my priorities are not in order. If I become more concerned about what I'm missing out on in the world, at the expense of my children, then I become a hearer of the Word, and not a doer.

To get a better grasp of the word "dilgent", I looked it up in the dictionary and here are statements used to define it: constant in effort to accomplish something; attentive and persistent in doing anything; marked by persevering; painstaking effort.

Painstaking effort...

I can't help but ask myself, am I putting painstaking effort into teaching my children the Word of the Lord? Not just taking them to church and reading them scripture here and there, but constantly and persistently teaching them?

I must be a constant presence in my children's life in order for this Biblical teaching and learning to happen. In Deuteronomy 6, all of the efforts mentioned (sitting, walking, lying, rising) are not absent of a parent. After all, verse 7 says, "YOU shall teach them diligently to your children..."

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"The rod and reproof give wisdom, but a child left to himself brings shame to his mother."Prov. 29:15
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Even though my flesh is tempted to leave my children absent of Godly correction and teaching in order to enjoy some fleeting moments of what is commonly called "me time", I have no peace in doing so.

So I'll just wait patiently for days that Ryan is home and can watch the boys while I get out a bit...he offers this to me often.

And I'll take peace in knowing this...

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"In keeping [the ordinances of the Lord] there is great reward."
Psalm 19:11
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