“Don’t be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your families, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes.” Nehemiah 4:14
My husband often accuses me of spoiling our children. I can often be seen hovering over them ready to meet their many needs. Whether it be a kiss and a cuddle, a clean space, or a little snack; I’m always ready and willing to serve.
Can I be blamed for this? It’s a natural convention of mine to serve the people around me as best I can. In most cases, this is a good thing. Messes get tidied quickly, and bellies get fed consistently.
As of late, I’ve started to ponder what the effects of this might be on the children in the future. Will they not know how to clean after themselves when they are adults, or depend on a grieved spouse to do it for them? This thinking has me in semi mean mommy mode, as I encourage, and sometimes threaten them to clean up after themselves.
Just today I caught myself preparing to clean up after my oldest after dinner, but I stopped myself and reminded him that he needed to do it for himself.
This reminded me of the parallels we see in parenthood to that of the Lord. God is our good father, and when we model our parenting after him, it’s perplexing how much we are like our own children to Him.
The book of Nehemiah, once joined with the book of Ezra, tells the happenings of Israel when some return from exile in Babylon to rebuild and repopulate the city of Jerusalem. Nehemiah is acting as Governor, and his main goal is to rebuild the gates around the city. As he builds, Nehemiah and his men face much opposition. The Jews within the walls doubt he can finish, and the people of the surrounding areas see the gate building as a threat, sending men to stop them. Because of this, Nehemiah orders the men to be on guard at all time until the gate is complete.
Our first inclination as believers is an inquisitive, “Why on earth is Nehemiah facing so much opposition?” This question is logical at first glance. If Nehemiah is risking his life and his comfort to be obedient, then why didn’t God make it smooth sailing, or just miraculously have the gate built for them.
The answer, I think, is the same reason I didn’t clean up after my son. Neither the plate nor the gate is the main issue. The issue is one of reliance and obedience. I want my son to trust that I know what’s best at this time in his life because I’m older and wiser than he is. I also want him to be obedient, because disobedience is dangerous for him.
Our Heavenly Father wants the same from us. He required obedience from Nehemiah and he didn’t just do it for him because he seeks to be glorified. This means that when we face opposition, as Nehemiah did, we lean on Him for strength and direction, believe that our Father knows best, and that we do not build in vain, but to please and glorify our Father.
