You would think that loving our children would come easy to us.
But over the years, I’ve learned that it doesn’t.
It is a process.
Sure, we love our children basically as soon as we enter motherhood. We love them with a instinctual, deep love that comes from our Father in heaven.
But as time passes and our sweet babes grow into fiesty toddlers, my actions don’t always reflect the love that I feel towards them.
Love is more than a feeling. Love encompasses our words, thoughts and deeds.
I used to be confused by when Paul admonishes the older women in Titus 2 to teach the younger women to love their families. “Why do they need to teach them that?” I thought. “Doesn’t love just come naturally?”
Unfortunately, the agape love that we should show towards our families doesn’t always come naturally. It involves sacrifice.
It involves sacrificing our time and own feelings for others. It involves scooping your toddler up into a great big bear hug after they purposefully spilled cheerios for the one-millionth time or pulled each and every clothing item out of the closet.
We must love them even then. We must show them our love even then to truly love them well.
Boy, how I have failed at this. I’ve failed at this a million times it seems. But thankfully, we have a compassionate Father who will pull us up when we are down. May He help the love we show and feel for our children ever increase.
I agree that there are definitely times we have to work at loving our children! That’s when I need the fruit of the Spirit to be evident in my life, so that His love overcomes my irritation and selfishness, and reaches out to my child through loving responses and actions.
You said it well here – sacrifice over selfishness, whether with our children or our husbands, is where real love shines through.
Have a great day!!
Thank you so much for sharing Tracey!