{"id":2727,"date":"2012-03-20T01:00:04","date_gmt":"2012-03-20T08:00:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.doorposts.com\/blog\/?p=2727"},"modified":"2012-03-23T23:31:42","modified_gmt":"2012-03-24T06:31:42","slug":"what-i-would-do-differently-part-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.doorposts.com\/blog\/2012\/03\/20\/what-i-would-do-differently-part-1\/","title":{"rendered":"What I Would Do Differently, Part 1"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\"\"\u201c. . . I began to speak less to the kids and more to God. It was actually quite relaxing.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Wow. That statement stopped me in my tracks.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The words are from Paul Miller\u2019s book, A Praying Life. <\/em>They are quoted in a book I\u2019ve been working my way through over the last few weeks, Give Them Grace: Dazzling Your Kids with the Love of Jesus, <\/em>by Elyse Fitzpatrick and her daughter, Jessica Thompson.<\/p>\n

How often have I stepped in and tried to play the role of Holy Spirit in the lives of others \u2013 especially in the lives of my children — when I should have been praying?<\/p>\n

Who do I think I am? If I can\u2019t change my own heart (and I can\u2019t), I\u2019m certainly not going to succeed in changing my children\u2019s hearts.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Far too many times I rely on my own \u201cwisdom\u201d instead acknowledging from the get-go that God<\/em> is the one doing the work in the lives of every<\/em> sinner under our roof \u2013 me included.<\/p>\n

Far too often I tend to think it\u2019s all up to me. If I just do this right, everyone will turn out right, so I’d better jump into action.<\/p>\n

Far too often I wait until I\u2019m desperate before I wake up to the fact that there\u2019s nothing I can do but rely on my Lord. Then <\/em>I remember to pray.<\/p>\n

What is one thing I would do differently if I were starting over in this glorious job of motherhood? <\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/strong>I would try, by God\u2019s grace, to pray a whole lot more and say a whole lot less<\/strong>.\u00a0I can still, by God’s grace, do it differently today<\/em>. I can again confess, repent, be forgiven, and move on in the power of the Holy Spirit. I can interact with the members of my family in a constant state of dependence and prayer, asking God to work in <\/em>me and\u00a0through <\/em>me,\u00a0and resting in the fact that He will accomplish His will in spite of me. <\/em><\/p>\n

<\/em>It’s His job, not mine, to change hearts.<\/p>\n

“And I am sure of this, that he who began \u00a0a good work in you \u00a0will bring it to completion at \u00a0the day of Jesus Christ”<\/em> (Philippians 1:6).<\/p>\n

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(Photo from Shutterstock.com)<\/p>\n

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