Pauline’s Notebook

3Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward. (Psalm 127:3)

When our baby arrives, our world seems completely turned upside-down. Our lives which was once in relative control, suddenly becomes a host of questions and decision making. Our whole life then becomes consumed by these decision making - from the moment we wake up to the time we rest in bed.

Is it better to breast feed or is it ok to bottle feed?

Should I stick to a routine settling technique or just go with the babies’ demand?

Why is my baby still crying/not sleeping/not drinking enough/drinking too much?

In the midst of all this, it is easy to forget the Creator of our newborn, our heavenly Father. In the Psalms, we are reminded that our baby is a gift from God, given to us and only to us to raise up in this world. However, what we tend to do from day one is we start to look at the world for advice on raising our child. We read books about settling babies, about listening to their different cries, about toddler taming, about healthy eating, about education, about child developmental stages. If we start off and continue to look at the world for advice, then we will maintain the pattern of putting God out of the picture in our family planning.

So where does remembering God leave us in respect to questions like how do I get my baby to sleep? We need to see the divine in the midst of our daily routines. We need to remember the promises in Scripture - that we can enjoy all of life and the blessings He gives us as long as we DO NOT FORGET HIM (Deuteronomy 6:12)

Here are some practical tips I got out of the Deuteronomy 6 passage, just before God’s people entered the Promised Land.

1. Remember how God has led you to your current circumstance (Deut 6: 10-12)

¹⁰ When the LORD your God brings you into the land he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give you—a land with large, flourishing cities you did not build, ¹¹ houses filled with all kinds of good things you did not provide, wells you did not dig, and vineyards and olive groves you did not plant—then when you eat and are satisfied, ¹² be careful that you do not forget the LORD, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.

- Remember how God has brought you here. Think of the specific events that have brought you to your current stage of being a mother. - Give thanks to our Heavenly Father for his work in your lives.

2. Turn to God first in everything (Deut 6: 4-5).

⁴ Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. ⁵ Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.

- When the baby is crying, pray first for you then for your child. Pray for strength and wisdom in responding to your child’s needs before hitting those baby ‘help’ books.

- Record everything about your child in a prayer journal.

- In your prayer journal, put down your concerns and prayer points for you and your child.

- Go over these journal entries after some time, to see how God has been actively working throughout each day, months and years.

3. Keep His Commandments (Deut 6:6)

⁶ These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts.

- Keep it simple. Read a Psalm, sing your favourite hymn – anything as long as it is a daily input.

4. Teach our children to turn to God first in everything and to keep His Commandments (Deut 6:7-9)

⁷ Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. ⁸ Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. ⁹ Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

In Deut 6:13 Moses warns God’s people that others round them will follow other gods – but they should not. In the future, their sons will ask them, “What is the meaning of the stipulations, decrees and laws the LORD our God has commanded you?” And they are to tell them of God’s amazing work in saving them and so they are to keep His laws and fear Him, so that they might be blessed by it (Deut 6:20-25). We need to do the same.

Conclusion:

Children see, children do. That is the commercial ad recently put out about drinking alcohol. A child sees his father taking out the beer on every occasion, and in time, the child becomes a man and he too takes beer from his fridge while his child watches – and the cycle continues. If we look to the world for advice in everything, our children will do the same. Remember that God is actively working in your lives, even in the daily activities of raising and nurturing your child. He is active in your lives because He gave you that child to raise – it is a gift to you from Him. If we can remember Him now, in our daily routines, we will remember Him also in the bigger decision making as the family grows.

Resource Link:

Biblical Parenting - Giving Kids a Vision for God’s Glory (free mp3 download)

(This article was prepared for the monthly Gracepoint Bub Group gathering.)