Turning on the Lights for the Next Generation

Wake up. Nurse baby. Get me and baby ready for the day. Go to work. Come home. Play. Baby’s dinner. Bath time. Put baby to bed. Make dinner. Prepare and pack the next day’s meals for the family. Tidy up. Pump. Shower. Sleep (ish … nurse some more). Wake up. Repeat.

Your day may look slightly different than mine, but we all have our routines. The daily grind. It’s easy to get wrapped up in it. All of our to-dos can consume us. All of our brainpower and physical energy goes to completing our daily tasks and growing our little humans.

But we must take a second to look up from the haze of routine and ask ourselves, “What’s the purpose behind the daily grind?”

Ultimately, our purpose is to use our lives to glorify God. To present ourselves as a living and holy sacrifice.

Romans 12:1 is clear on this: I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.

Not only that but now that I have a child, “How does the command to live my life for God translate to motherhood….and the daily grind?”

We have the privilege – the daunting responsibility – of showing our children the purpose of our lives as Christ-followers - to be a light for each generation, shedding the hope of Christ in a dark world.

When I think of raising my child to be a light one verse comes to mind: And now three remain: faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love. -1 Corinthians 13:13

The amplified version of the Bible defines this love as the “unselfish love for others growing out of God’s love for me.” Did you catch that? Our children can develop and share an unselfish love for others only after they understand God’s love for them.

Could it really be that simple?

I can help my child fulfill her ultimate purpose on earth – to give her life to God and lead others to Him – simply by helping her understand the depth of her Heavenly Father’s love.

The Bible offers many teachable examples of God’s love, and we can - and should - share these examples with them. You don’t need a degree in theology! Find your favorite story about Jesus and share it with them.

It is our purpose and the purpose of our children to show love to a hurting and harsh world just like Jesus did.

Mommas, let’s turn on the lights.

Blessings,

Kelley Thigpen

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Looking for more ways to share God’s love to your children?

Check out our new Faith Forward Family Devotional by Patrick and Ruth Schwenk. Faith Forward is written for families with children of all ages to help equip and inspire you to raise another generation to love and serve Jesus.

In just a few minutes a day, at your own pace, you can take your family through the entire Bible in one hundred devotions.

Grow closer to your kids as they grow closer to God.