Roadblock or Bridge?

"Do not claim honor" (Proverbs 25:6a)

I've done it again. I've "claimed honor" from my kiddos. Instead of having a gentle, humble spirit when a couple of my children did wrong this morning, I blustered (albeit quietly). While I didn't directly say, "You must honor me!", my very demeanor cried out, "I deserve better. Don't make my life hard by sinning. I don't want to have to invest time and energy into setting you back on the path of right behavior. I don't want to walk this road again."

What a wrong, wrong, wrong--even ridiculous--attitude toward parenting! One of the most significant facets of my role as a mom is to meekly and lovingly help my children see their wrong choices. When I stay in the right place myself, there is some chance that they may recognize their need for a Saviour. When I become a dark storm cloud of haughty frustration, I become a roadblock to Christ, rather than a bridge. When I resent their need for correction, I'm resenting the God who made me their mother. Yikes!

A major portion of my time will, by the very nature of fallen humanity, be spent guiding my kiddos back towards God and His ways. As each new opportunity presents itself, I need to preach to myself that I'm not alone in this role. God is with me. He is Emmanuel. He is also a promise-keeping God who has said that He will give me the patience, wisdom and endurance I need, if I'll just cry out to Him. When my kids go astray--and they will--I must beseech Him for help rather than blustering! My job is not to claim honor from my children. My job is to parent them in a way that honors God.