I look forward to the way life will look as she grows through her teen years and we get closer to being friends. With that in mind, I want to foster a culture of life-giving words in our home so that my daughter is confident that her personality isn’t something I’m going to mock or belittle. She needs to rest secure in knowing I believe the person that God uniquely crafted her to be is truly a gift.
She needs to know that God loves her and He is pleased with her.
My daughter needs to hear that God isn’t holding her at arm’s length, or that he simply tolerates her. She needs to be reminded of all the Scriptural evidence and declarations of God’s love and mercy. She needs me to sing Jesus Loves Me now, in her formative years, so she knows deep down in her heart that it’s true, “for the Bible tells me so.” She needs assurance that she is in Christ, and that his promises are true for her.
God’s promises are not simply for the girls who look like they have it all together on the outside, so I need to impart to my daughter that picture-perfect isn’t what God has called her to; he’s called her to holiness. She needs to walk in the living hope he’s saved her to (1 Peter 1:3).
We Serve a Gracious God
As I write all this out, I’m tempted to feel overwhelmed by the weight of responsibility as a mother, and as extensive as this list seems, I know this is really just the tip of the iceberg of each individual daughter’s needs. I don’t parent alone, though, and the God who has called me to teach my children his ways (Deuteronomy 6:4-9) has also provided a Savior who saves me and keeps me.
I’m certain that as hard as I will try to be faithful as a mom, I will regularly fail to communicate everything I need to impart to my daughters. But this is the place I want to start, trusting God to be gracious to each of us.
