“I don’t know how other people make it, Mom–I mean, people who aren’t Christians. Every day, the Holy Spirit gives me just enough grace and light to make it through this day’s struggles–just enough to give me hope and strength for this day as I need it. And I sure need it! It’s all making so much sense to me,” Sarah continued. “If a person tries to be good and live the Christian life on her own strength, she will run out of steam and crash. It can’t be done in our own strength. I’m so thankful that I know the grace and forgiveness and freedom of trusting in the Holy Spirit to help me through each day.”
In John 15:1-6, Jesus painted a vivid word picture of what it meant for the disciples to have their lives in Him–to be filled with His strength and power through the Holy Spirit. He said, “I am the Vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). That’s an eternal truth I must take to heart if I want to give our children the gift of faith.
To me as a parent, this “vine” reality has two implications. First, I must do what I can to stay connected to Jesus at all costs. Only when He lives through me will I have the patience, love, faith, strength, perspective, and understanding I need to raise godly, faithful children.
But the other side of this truth is that eventually my children must attach themselves to the Vine, not to me. Only the Lord can draw our children to himself. Only He can give salvation to our children. And only He can convict them of their sins. I can and must love my children, nurture them, comfort them, teach them. I can and must model for them what life as a “branch” looks like, and show them ways to stay “attached” through prayer, Bible reading, fellowship with other believers, and so on. But I cannot be their “vine,” and I cannot play the role of the Holy Spirit in their lives.”
~from The Ministry of Motherhood, chapter 12
Ahhhh, how much easier it seems it would be, if I *could* be their vine! If only everything depended upon me, and I could guarantee success or a connection to the Lord for my children through my own devotion.
Then again … how silly to think that way! Surely I don’t really want to bear that burden, and God never intended me to.
Faithfulness. Faithfulness is what is called for in mothers, and even that comes through our dependence upon the Holy Spirit. Jesus talking about the coming Comforter–at least nine times in these chapters–so powerfully before His death assures me that He is necessary and that I must not forget that through Him the promise is fulfilled that I am never without guidance, never without comfort, never without help.
“I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever, that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.”~ John 14:16-17
Take comfort, mama … it is impossible for you to be alone.
Sally, thank you for this post, it is one of my favorite scriptures, I don’t know many but this one brings great comfort. I know that I am only interceding for my son until he is ready to accept Jesus as his savior, thank you for reminding me that I will eventually have to let him follow Jesus himself. I really appreciate your posts, I gain so much from them. Thank you. Have a blessed weekend. Tara (The Proverbs 31 Sanctuary)
Sweet Sally,
I’m reading the first chapter of Desperate. To be honest at first I thought “Oh, I wish I had gotten this book when my guys were in the preschool years.” This book is for me now, today. My boys are 11, 10, & 7. So many pieces of my own puzzle are falling into place. I was the woman unable to have children for 9 years. I want to write more, but my children need me.
Sally,
The blog post today was so wonderful. I felt God really spoke to me about my need as a Mother to stay connected to the vine and in so doing teach my kids how to live. Thank you for all you do for Moms.
God bless you! Nancy Larimer
Wow! Beautifully explained! I like to choose a verse for the year; 2012 John 15:5 was mine!!
This blesses me. Thank you.
Thank you Sally for this exhortation. Truly, this is something I know, and last year felt I had once again laid my fears at the cross- but it seems to be something I pick up now and again- worry.
I think sometimes I micro-manage our grown married children’s lives- all followers of Jesus. I pray, intercede, and then, for icing, I add worry.
Our precious 18 grandchildren are ages newborn to age 10- and I do the same thing for them as well- pray, intercede, and worry.
So, on this journey of life and always learning, I will embrace this word and my Jesus, knowing His power and love supersedes all.
Your sister on this journey, (Granny) Joyce
I so needed to be reminded of these words today.
thank you.
I LOVE THIS!!!
The past few years have personally been a struggle for me due to unexpected things placed in our lives. A year and a half ago, my daughter was diagnosed with high risk leukemia, the day after I had my third child, my first son. I was not there during any of her diagnoses and tests, and could not be with her for four days. My husband and I had been struggling to find a church family we felt we “fit” with. We were members of a church but had become distant with them after my second child was born. Miraculously, this horrible, challenging event placed in our lives brought us closer to Him. I didn’t go to church still, mainly because my daughter could not be in public due to her immune system, but God had placed such loving, supportive people in our lives. And then I heard about MomHeart. Our world had been turned upside down, so the thought of leaving for two days, and the children being in my husbands care wasn’t really a positive thought process! But a friend has already paid my registration and I felt I had no excuse to not go. Last year, I attended my first MomHeart, and it changed me in so many ways, Sally! You are such an amazing woman and speaker and disciple of God and I started having my own quiet time, which then seeped into my then 6-year-old daughter, who also wanted to have her own devotional quiet time. I did family devotionals. I truly wanted to disciple my family. But I have yet to gain true strength in this, as life sucked me back in, and I fell back into old routines, and the newness of everything drifted away. I still had that nudge, though, that calling to minister to my children the word of God and Jesus’ love and his story. So, I registered ASAP for this years conference and have prayed tonight, after coming home from the amazing, replenishing event, that I will hold fast to this passion I have in ministering my children and bringing God to the forefront of our family life. I pray I will NOT fall back into old routines but hold tight to these new ones. This has turned into a novel, and I apologize, but want you to know how you truly ARE making a difference, Sally, in women all around the world. God knew what he was doing when he picked you! Of course, He’s God, so He’ll always know what He’s doing…but you know what I mean! Thank you for being you, and for being a voice to us mothers who struggle to find our way in this journey to help mold our children to be followers of Christ. I suppose this is my testimony to you…I hadn’t intended it to be, but I love you, and bless you for all the work you put into this ministry.