From Cradle to Crown – Part II
A Testimony from a Christian Mother
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by Yveatte Moore
In Part I of From Cradle to Crown, I shared with you the first of three obstacles the Lord showed me was standing in the way of abundant blessings for my family. Now, for the second obstacle.
Obstacle #2 – Expectations
We want the absolute best for our children because we love them so much. We want to protect them from painful situations that we may have experienced as a child. We want them to prosper and be honored. The mother of James and John had a very bold request of Jesus.
Matthew 20:20-21
Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Him with her sons, kneeling down and asking something from Him.
21 And He said to her, “What do you wish?”
There is nothing like a mother’s love. It causes us to pray bold prayers and do things that are far out of our comfort zone. For our children, we are willing to go through some pain for their benefit.
This is reminiscent of God’s love for us, His children. He sacrificed His only Son for us. The intense love we have for our children is only a fraction of how Father God feels about us. With this in mind, we understand that all mothers want their children to be special, to be successful and stand out from the crowd.
We think if we can protect them from pain, then we’ve done well. So we guide and steer them in the direction that we think is safe, or where they will have the most success, or toward the things we wanted and enjoyed as a child. And there is nothing wrong with any of those things until…
…we form expectations—things we want for them for whatever reason. We set a level of expectation in our heads that makes them look good and us feel good. As we seek more success, we get wrapped up in doing and competing—grades, beauty, sports, music or any number of things. Pretty soon, we get tunnel vision and it becomes all about what they do and how well they do it.
We forgot about God and His promises.
Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass.
Let Go and Let God
Whatever we are concerned about, it is God Who will perfect it, not us (Psalm 138:8). No matter how hard we want them to win at something or how much we do to help them or encourage them toward that end, God is the One in control.
Our expectations put an unseen burden upon our children and on us, one that causes strain in every relationship in the home. We’ve made the mistake of allowing our world to revolve around our children. Somewhere along the line, they became #1 in the household, ahead of Christ and ahead of our marriage.
If Christ is not the foundation of our homes, that means something or someone else is, and that is dangerous territory.
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.
We mustn’t allow our children to become idols in our lives. Instead of protecting them, we have actually put them in danger. Read the story about Abraham and Isaac in Genesis Chapter 22.
We must be willing to give our children to God for His glory. That is the only way they will really be safe and reach their full potential. We don’t have the power to do that, but God in His perfect love does, and He will when we place our expectations at the foot of the cross (when we get out of His way).
If you find yourself in a place of living your life for your children rather than for Jesus Christ, it’s time to surrender. If you have sacrificed your marriage by choosing your child over your husband time and again, it’s time to surrender. Surrender your heart, your time and the work of your hands to God the Father.
As we commit our way to Him, He is the One Who will bring it to pass (Psalm 37:5). We can be free from the weight of that responsibility. As we follow Him we can become all we’re meant to be, as women, wives and mothers. God is the One Who will take our child from the cradle to the crown. Thank You, Lord!
We look at Obstacle #3 in Part III of From Cradle to Crown.
Bible Verses and Commentaries about Marriage
