Teach them My love…

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.  And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ and to know this love that surpasses knowledge – that you may be filled to the measure of all fullness of God. Ephesians 3:16-19

I spent ten hours in the car last Saturday riding home from vacation.  For the most part the van was quiet.  Tired boys with pink shoulders rode contentedly with Goldfish, iPod Shuffles, books and movies, giving Brent and me time to talk and plan out Summer.

And yes, we did talk pool, park, and play dates, but we also talked chores, discipline, responsibilities and goals.

Summer rocks because, as mommy, I strip down busyness and have a few months to laser focus on family.  And my “type A-ness” goes straight to adjusting discipline issues that I avoided during the last two months of a hectic school year’s end.

So I began to press into praying for the boys…asking the Lord to grant me clear directives on heart issues and discipline strategies for each individual child.

But as I turned my ear to Him, one thing alone He has made extremely clear… As my pen scribbled down a “parenting action plan” on my paper, He inscribed the words on my heart…

Teach them my love, Becky.  Don’t forget.

{Whoa…bright shirts}

His love for them.  Yes.

Confession:  I can be a drill sergeant.

My natural bend as a mom is an iron fist.  (anybody else?) Now, granted, by God’s grace, I married the epitome of a gracious dad.  We balance well (thank goodness). But when I was buck wild in my rebellion as a non-believer, God’s iron fist was not the reason I came crawling back on all fours.

No, it was HIS LOVE FOR ME.

If I am parenting with an iron fist, supposedly being the “image of Christ” to my boys, then I am painting a skewed picture of my God.  Sure, He is just and jealous for our heart’s devotion.   He desires our obedience…

BUT IT IS HIS LOVE that draws us back to obedience to Him.

Teach them My love, Becky. Don’t Forget.

More than anything, I want my boys to experience the Love of God.

As I was praying last week, the Spirit led me to Ephesians 3:16-19…

Lord, I pray that out of Your glorious riches You would strengthen my children with power through Your Spirit in their inner being, so that You would dwell in their hearts through faith.  And I pray that they would be rooted and established in love, and would have power to grasp how did and long and high and deep is the love of Christ for them and know this love that surpasses knowledge – that they would be filled to the measure of all fullness of God. 

Oh Father, that they would KNOW YOUR LOVE THAT SURPASSES KNOWLEDGE!

If they could get THIS ONE THING, the rest will come.

“Know” {ginosko} means “to learn, come to know, get knowledge of.  To perceive.  AND GET THIS… it is also the same Jewish idiom used for marital intimacy between a husband and a wife.

Oh hallelujah!

God doesn’t just want us to “understand”  His love for us with our minds, He wants us to INTIMATELY know it.  To feel it. To experience the love He has for us with all our senses.

Like — Marriage intimacyknow it.

KNOW. HIS. LOVE. LIKE. THIS.

Oh, Lord, it’s just too much!

The first thing I thought when I read this is, “Geez, Lord.  I want to know Your know like this, TOO!!! Pick me!”

As a His child, I need to experience this love in order for my kids to experience it.  I am not to tell them about it...It should spill over on them. So as I pray Ephesians 3:16-19 over them, I ask it for myself, too.

This morning, I ask this of the Lord for my entire family!  Oh the love of God!  Lord will you lavish it on us?!  May we know it,  feel it, taste it and touch it.  Lord, let me not forget to teach them Your Love!!!

And for every one reading this today, lavish them, too, Father!  Lavish their family in Your Love!  That they would know it intimately.  Like never before.

This morning, sit with your coffee.  Read His Word.  Think of the Cross.  Dwell on His Grace. KNOW HIS LOVE FOR YOU THAT SURPASSES ALL KNOWLEDGE. Praise the Lord!

Reflection Questions:

Do you parent with an iron fist (like me) or is your bend towards grace?  Ask the Lord for what you need as a parent today.

When was the last time you experienced the love of God in such a tangible way?  How can we move towards knowing His love more intimately than ever before?

Power Verses:

And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says, “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.” Hebrews 12:5-6

…With you, Lord, is unfailing love. Psalm 62:12