Seriousness of Motherhood

"Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord." Ephesians 6:4

“Raising a child is not training. Plants and animals are raised. To raise something means to grow it. To raise a child would only consist of feeding, clothing, and protecting him from destruction until he reaches physical maturity. While it is true today that most parents are only “raising” their children, raising does not constitute the training of the soul that God intends.”

“Biblical child training produces a quality character much different than would have developed had the child been left alone to grow up according to his own nature. God's Word commands parents specifically to so alter the nature of their children.” (Pages 64-65 of What the Bible Says About Child Training by Richard Fugate)

"Sometimes mere words are not enough, discipline is needed. For the words may not be heeded." Proverbs 29:19 (loose translation)

The importance: an Old illustration

1 Samuel 15:20-23 And Saul said to Samuel, “But I have obeyed the voice of the LORD, and gone on the mission on which the LORD sent me, and brought back Agag king of Amalek; I have utterly destroyed the Amalekites. But the people took of the plunder, sheep and oxen, the best of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice to the LORD your God in Gilgal.”

So Samuel said:
“Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices,
As in obeying the voice of the LORD?
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,
And to heed than the fat of rams.

For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft,
And stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.
Because you have rejected the word of the LORD,
He also has rejected you from being king.”

Some people are concerned about Harry Potter's influence on our children to witchcraft. If rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, I believe we have a lot more to deal with than a book of fiction in the children's lives. What an important position it is for a Lady to take on the role of Mother. Their stubbornness is as serious sinfulness, or maybe their conversion to Hinduism through pure yoga. When put into that light, as Samuel pointed out to Saul, training a child - and our own discipline - seems so much more important.

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Now, there is a funny side to Motherhood too. It's everything a mom says in 24 hours condensed to 2 minutes and 55 seconds and sung to the William Tell Overture as sung by Anita Renfroe.