Recently, I just finished reading "The Ministry of Motherhood: Following Christ's Example in Reaching the Hearts of Our Children" by Sally Clarkson. And I really can't tell you how good this book was for my soul.
Sally Clarkson goes through five gifts that we can we can give our children as they grow: Grace, Inspiration, Faith, Training and Service (GIFTS). To begin each gift, she uses a story from the ministry of Jesus to show us what it means. Then she goes through many practical ways we can teach these gifts to our children. I love that she is vulnerable and real in her book. And the study and discussion questions after each section are truly helpful and make you think. But none of these reasons are why this book had such an impact on my life.
At 9.5 months old, Peter is far too young for me to put a lot of this book into action while mothering him. However, the best way to teach our children is to be their role model. We have to model for them the behaviors that we want them to learn. It's as simple as that. Of course, it is much easier said than done. This is why this book had an impact on my life... It has challenged to me to sit down and think about the way my life lines up with what I hope to teach my children in the future.
Reading this book, has encouraged me to open my Bible and spend time with my Savior. It has encouraged me to pray, to serve, and to see what areas of my life I need to surrender to Him. It has encouraged me to read further into the biblical examples, Clarkson gives to support each gift. I find myself wanting to know more about how Jesus did each of these things, and then I find myself praying that the Holy Spirit would work in my heart to make these true in my life.
I would like to share with you and excerpt from the book that explains what each of the gifts means.
"G represents the gift of Grace- the kind of undeserved but freely given love and favor that comes from God. We model grace by extending it to our children but also by insisting that they learn to extend it to others. practically speaking, the gift of grace is all about relationships. it's the desire and ability to relate personally and lovingly to God and people.
I represents the gift of Inspiration- which is all about motivation and purpose. This gift is essentially the desire and ability to view all of life in the light of God's sovereignty and purpose. Inspiring my children to understand God's purpose for their lives and say yes to His call provides them with a sense of meaning. It helps give them the energy they need to do what God wants in their lives.
F represents the gift of Faith- both content and attitude. We give this gift both by teaching "the faith" (sound doctrine, biblical literacy, practical application) and by modeling what it means to live in faith, trusting God for our needs. Biblical faith gives my children the strength they need to proceed in their walk with the Lord. The gift of faith is the desire and ability to know God through His Word and Spirit and to trust him for every area of life.
T represents the gift of Training- the desire and ability to grow in Christian maturity and godly character in the power of the Holy Spirit. It's not just telling children how to live, not just modeling right behavior, but repeating these lessons with patience and perseverance until they become part of their lives. Training is a process of gradually moving a child's character and habits in a godly direction.
S represents the gift of Service- the desire and ability to minister God's grace and truth to others. Giving my children a heart for ministry teaches them how to serve God tangibly and practically by using their hearts and their hands for ministry. " (taken from page 15 of "The Ministry of Motherhood" by Sally Clarkson)
This is a great read whether your children are teenagers or about to be born. And especially if you find yourself bogged down in the daily tasks of motherhood. If you are a mom, then motherhood is one of the most important calls the Lord has put on your life. Lets encourage one another to seek Jesus as we seek to learn daily what this calling is all about.
Food for thought: What are your goals in parenting your children? What do you want to teach your children? What are you actually teaching your children?
Love,
Carly
And... a question for you: what are you reading right now?
Sally Clarkson goes through five gifts that we can we can give our children as they grow: Grace, Inspiration, Faith, Training and Service (GIFTS). To begin each gift, she uses a story from the ministry of Jesus to show us what it means. Then she goes through many practical ways we can teach these gifts to our children. I love that she is vulnerable and real in her book. And the study and discussion questions after each section are truly helpful and make you think. But none of these reasons are why this book had such an impact on my life.
At 9.5 months old, Peter is far too young for me to put a lot of this book into action while mothering him. However, the best way to teach our children is to be their role model. We have to model for them the behaviors that we want them to learn. It's as simple as that. Of course, it is much easier said than done. This is why this book had an impact on my life... It has challenged to me to sit down and think about the way my life lines up with what I hope to teach my children in the future.
Reading this book, has encouraged me to open my Bible and spend time with my Savior. It has encouraged me to pray, to serve, and to see what areas of my life I need to surrender to Him. It has encouraged me to read further into the biblical examples, Clarkson gives to support each gift. I find myself wanting to know more about how Jesus did each of these things, and then I find myself praying that the Holy Spirit would work in my heart to make these true in my life.
I would like to share with you and excerpt from the book that explains what each of the gifts means.
"G represents the gift of Grace- the kind of undeserved but freely given love and favor that comes from God. We model grace by extending it to our children but also by insisting that they learn to extend it to others. practically speaking, the gift of grace is all about relationships. it's the desire and ability to relate personally and lovingly to God and people.
I represents the gift of Inspiration- which is all about motivation and purpose. This gift is essentially the desire and ability to view all of life in the light of God's sovereignty and purpose. Inspiring my children to understand God's purpose for their lives and say yes to His call provides them with a sense of meaning. It helps give them the energy they need to do what God wants in their lives.
F represents the gift of Faith- both content and attitude. We give this gift both by teaching "the faith" (sound doctrine, biblical literacy, practical application) and by modeling what it means to live in faith, trusting God for our needs. Biblical faith gives my children the strength they need to proceed in their walk with the Lord. The gift of faith is the desire and ability to know God through His Word and Spirit and to trust him for every area of life.
T represents the gift of Training- the desire and ability to grow in Christian maturity and godly character in the power of the Holy Spirit. It's not just telling children how to live, not just modeling right behavior, but repeating these lessons with patience and perseverance until they become part of their lives. Training is a process of gradually moving a child's character and habits in a godly direction.
S represents the gift of Service- the desire and ability to minister God's grace and truth to others. Giving my children a heart for ministry teaches them how to serve God tangibly and practically by using their hearts and their hands for ministry. " (taken from page 15 of "The Ministry of Motherhood" by Sally Clarkson)
This is a great read whether your children are teenagers or about to be born. And especially if you find yourself bogged down in the daily tasks of motherhood. If you are a mom, then motherhood is one of the most important calls the Lord has put on your life. Lets encourage one another to seek Jesus as we seek to learn daily what this calling is all about.
Food for thought: What are your goals in parenting your children? What do you want to teach your children? What are you actually teaching your children?
Love,
Carly
And... a question for you: what are you reading right now?
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