Celebrating CharacterSample

Take a minute and look closely at the world our kids are growing up in today. The idea of having "great-enough" kids is especially relevant to American culture. While I cannot say for sure when it started, I can say that for as long as I have been a mother, I have felt what I refer to as a "constant push” both for myself and my children.

The "push" that moms experience even from the time our kids are babies is a push to do more and expect more from our kids. This sense that we as moms need to make sure we are maximizing our kids' fullest potential in every area is frankly overwhelming.

The constant cultural pressure to maximize your child's potential in every area creates an exhausting burden that few families can sustain without losing something precious in the process. This relentless "mom-push" suggests that you carry the responsibility to ensure your child achieves success in social, physical, academic, emotional, and spiritual domains simultaneously.

When you resist the pressure to push your children toward “greatness” in every area, you create space for them to discover their authentic interests and naturally develop their unique gifts. In Proverbs, we read that while we may have plans laid out in our hearts, in the end, it is the Lord’s purpose that will prevail. This also applies to our children whom the Lord is shaping and molding according to His perfect plan.

Reflection Question: What natural gifts has God given to your child? What could you do today to affirm and encourage your child in those gifts?