Parenting is the hardest job anyone can imagine. Trying to parent with a godly heart and mindset is even more challenging. If you are a believer, like I am, not only must you develop a relationship with the Lord, but allow Him access to your heart, mind, and spirit in ways that transform you and your child.
Matthew 18:6 says, "If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea." Scripture is clear in warning us that we must travel any length to avoid being a stumbling block in the faith of a young believer or child. This warning is clearly stated so that we never misunderstand or forget God's command.
This makes the beauty of innocence as necessary for adults
as it is for children.
Just as our child will rapidly grow and mature, we should be changing daily. We should intentionally be working to ensure that we are never the same person tomorrow that we are today. Just as we carry the honor and privilege of guiding our children in the way they should live, we must consider the weighty responsibility we hold to be an upright mentor.
Most parents fall into the category of "good" parents, but how many can claim the title of godly parents? Ezekiel 18:4a says, "For everyone belongs to me, the parent as well as the child—both alike belong to me." Psalm 24:1 says, "The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it." These beautiful verses prove that the children we have been blessed to receive truly belong to God and we are merely the stewards He has chosen for such a time as this. This understanding shows mothers how critical it is to cultivate and create innocence and joy in the home.
How does innocence fall into this area of parenting? Freedom from sin or moral wrong is the first definition that pulls up under the word, "innocence" in the dictionary. How can parents live a life that exemplifies innocence? Only through seeking, finding, studying, and following Jesus will we begin to undergo character transformation that pleases our Heavenly Father and influences our children for Him.
Cultivate & Create Innocence & Joy
Your home is a very influential place, holding one key to guarding your children. What you allow into your home holds you responsible for the effects your children will face. One of the areas parents sometimes forget while focusing on friends, electronics (games, computer, phone, iPad, apps, etc.), books and magazines, television shows or movies is what your children also view daily on the walls and shelves of home.
Home should be a shelter from the world (for you and your children). One of the first memories a child carries is the décor of the home they grow up in. What you surround your children with stays embedded in their mind, the impressions helping to shape who and what they become. Perhaps your family travels and you have artifacts from various countries. Maybe the people in your home are curious learners because you kept shelves filled with books on a variety of topics. Maybe the walls of your home are neutral or colorful, but the carefully chosen artwork displayed creates simplicity that fosters sweet innocence or a love for nature and gentleness of character.
Future character and values are important guides to how you should decorate. Qualities you want to foster in your children will be built by many sources. Remember the walls of your home and the pieces you display on shelves when you craft the atmosphere of your home. The very nature of your child and their eternal presence are influenced by everything you allow to grace your home. Let innocence and light guide the way you present décor.
Originally published by Terri on melaneandco.com