More Wisdom

The older my children become, the more I realize how much more wisdom I need. It seemed to me in the early years, as I transitioned into motherhood, although it was not easy, it did not require great amounts of wisdom - for a while you can get by with basic knowledge of "how to" information. But as those precious little ones grow older, knowledge is no longer sufficient...we must have wisdom (and the reality is, we need wisdom at each stage - I am referring to the sense of desperate need for wisdom).

There is only one source of true wisdom and that comes from God through His Word, and I find myself pursuing this more passionately all the time. I am becoming increasingly aware of the importance of being well equipped as I enter into the new stages of life that come with older children (and I know I still have a long ways to go). There is much wisdom to be gained from friends and mentors who have gone before as well, but I want to look for the wisdom that they have gained from experience with God, not earthly sources.

A mentor and friend shared with me recently that I needed to be seeking God for a greater understanding of who I am in Christ, and this was the reason she gave, "The clarity of your identity will help your children form their identity. As they are getting older, they are drawing more on WHO you are instead of what you can do or what you are." I have felt that in the past year or so, and as we are moving into the teen years with our oldest, I am becoming increasingly aware of how little I need to do (physically) but how much I need to give (emotionally & spiritually). This is a healthy and natural progression but one that draws me deeper into God's Word. When speaking of the wife of noble character, Proverbs 31:26 says this of her, "She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is one her tongue." That should be the goal for all of us as moms, to be so filled with wisdom from above, that when we open our mouths it is God's truth that comes forth to our children.

One of the things I love about homeschooling so much, is that I am blessed to have each day - all day - to be with my children and speak into their lives. More than education, my highest goal is that I use my time in such a way that my children are equipped with wisdom because of the time we have spent together over the years. This requires me to be growing and seeking the Lord so that I have something more to offer them. We are promised in James 1:5 that, "If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it WILL be given to him."

We need wisdom every moment of every day and when we have God's window of wisdom wide open to us, it makes me wonder why I ever attempt things on my own. The stresses of parenting and the moments we feel we can't take any more are often the times that draw us closest to the Lord and remind us that we should not be trying to do this on our own anyway. God is the God of structure, order and design...He is the One who can show us what we need when our babies are sick, our toddlers are defiant and our teenagers are depressed. May we ever turn to Him as the Source of all wisdom, for that is what He is!