Beautifully Familiar - Shanthi Hildebrandt

“How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” - Romans 10:15 (NIV)  

Our children are gifts from the hand of the Lord and He has entrusted us, as mothers, with the greatest and most awesome responsibility of bringing to them the good news of God’s love and salvation. If this sounds intimidating and above your ‘pay grade’, here is the best news; we were not designed to do this in our own strength.

When King Solomon was asked what he wanted by God, he asked for the wisdom to rule his kingdom. Such a wise request, ironically. In the same vein us mothers must, and indeed are entitled to, ask for Godly wisdom to bring up our children in the ways of the Lord; helping them to know and love Jesus Christ as both Lord and Saviour. Each stage of our children’s growth – from infancy and childhood to adolescence and adulthood – is an opportunity for us to give them a firm and Godly foundation upon which they can build their entire lives and go on to walk in their destiny.

“The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life.” - Proverbs 13:14

Even though life becomes very busy with little ones, we can find time to seek God for this wonderful wisdom. I had a comfortable chair with my Bible and journal ready on a little table beside it, so that when the children were asleep or playing around me, I could spend some time reading and praying. It is such a comfort to know that the Lord is with us, every moment of our day, and as we go about our tasks of washing the dishes, ironing clothes or vacuuming, we can talk to Him and know that He is listening.

His voice becomes so beautifully familiar.

I remember an occasion when I had just returned home from grocery shopping and I left my four-year-old son strapped in the car seat in the driveway. As I walked towards the front door to unlock the house, I felt the Lord say to me, “Go back to the car!”. So, I turned around and saw the car gently rolling down the little slope with my son in it! Because of God’s prompting and my ability to hear Him, I had time to quickly run and pull the handbrake to bring the car to a stop. What a different outcome that could have been... If we listen to God, He will intervene when we are unable to see, He will remind us constantly, that He loves us and our children, tenderly, and that He has not left us alone in the task of raising them.

“He tends His flock like a shepherd. He gathers the lambs in His arms and carries them close to His heart. He gently leads those that have young.” - Isaiah 40:11

How beautiful in the Lord’s eyes, are mothers whose lives are committed to living for the Lord and who seek to please Him in response to His love for them! The purpose for every moral, intellectual and practical skill our children will ever learn, flows from this. God makes His desire clear as to how important it is that mothers live in reverence to God before their children and faithfully teach them all His ways.

So, mothers, the greatest gifts we can give our children is to love them unconditionally, pray for them unceasingly, and keep entrusting them to the love and care of the one who loves them, unfailingly.

Shanthi is married to Louis Hildebrandt, she is part of the Kingdomcity theam in Perth.