Mothering with the Help of the Holy Spirit
As moms, we tend to want to meet all the needs of our children. It’s just the way we are. We love our “babies” – both small and big. But one of the very first things we need to learn is that we cannot. We are limited. We are finite. We don’t have all the necessary resources to meet their every need.
There will be plenty of times in our role as a mother when we have no idea whatsoever what to do about a difficult behavior, a rotten attitude, a serious illness, or a tough situation our child(ren) are facing. And we certainly can’t be with each of our kids twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, three hundred sixty-five days a year!
Thankfully, the Lord has us moms covered! He has not left us alone.
In fact, before Jesus returned to heaven, He told His disciples that He was going away, but that they would not be left alone. He even said that it would be good and advantageous for Him to go so that He could send the Holy Spirit to us (John 16:7, Amplified Bible).
The Holy Spirit was given to us by Jesus to help us in every area of our lives, including mothering our children.
I love what the Lord said about the Holy Spirit in John 14:16-17, 26:
And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, and Standby), that He may remain with you forever – The Spirit of Truth …will live with you constantly and will be in you…He will teach you all things.
So as moms, if we will intentionally learn to trust and follow the leading of the Holy Spirit, He will give us His counsel, His help, His strength, and so much more. He will also teach us all that we need to know to love, nurture, and raise our children to become godly adults.
I love how one person put it: The Holy Spirit is our “Guide on the inside.”
In learning to “mother from the heart” we must consistently look inside our own spirits because that is where the Greater One dwells. He’s not in our heads or minds — so we can think and try to figure it all out by ourselves and get nowhere, or we can learn to check within our own spirits to receive His guidance for every situation we face.
If you are experiencing a difficult situation or problem with one or more of your children right now, then I encourage you to ask the Holy Spirit for wisdom in how to deal with it. Set aside some time to read and meditate upon His Word, and then to listen for His leading.
It may take some time for you to distinguish His guidance from the thoughts in your head or your overwhelmed emotions, but if you will practice looking inside your own spirit, you will eventually receive the wisdom you need.
I guarantee you His answer is far better than anything you could have thought of!