“Listen, my child, to what your father teaches you. Don’t neglect your mother’s teaching. What you learn from them will crown you with grace and clothe you with honor” (Proverbs 1:8-9 NLT).
Not until I had a small, red, wiggly baby placed in my arms did I realize the capacity this verse held. Sure, I was a daughter and had parents to whom I was accountable and to whom I owed the deepest of respect and obedience—but having my own? Having my own child has raised the bar on this power-packed proverb.
There is an endless list of things I’ll never be able to provide for my son. Monetarily, my hands are tied in so many ways. We’re not a family of amassed wealth or fortune. Wants often, and I repeat often, are neglected because needs must be procured. Gifts I’d love to shower upon our boy remain in the store until a bigger paycheck or a special occasion. And then I re-read Scripture like the one above and realize the great prize I can provide my child.
I have the potential to raise a king. I have come to the conclusion that what I give him will never be as valuable as Who I direct Him to. In wearing the hand-me-downs of my faith, until he has come into his own, I’ll be passing along a relationship with my Savior. In my commitment to discipline and training him in obedience, I prepare him for a gloriously rich future. With determination and fortitude I can stand my ground and insist that he not fall short of the marks I set for him to hit when it comes to respect and right living.
To crown my son with grace and clothe him with honor—what more could a mother provide?
Malinda Edgell
Illinois
PRAY TOGETHER: We hear a lot about getting our of our comfort zones. Here’s one comfort zone in which we can remain. Read John 15:9 and Romans 8:38-39. Thank God today for the secure comfort of His love.
