Few things have impacted me more than women who know with all their heart that God is good.
They have suffered deeply sometimes, AND often. They know loss, grief, chronic pain – but they also are sure that God is good and that He is for them in Christ.
Christ’s mission on earth was to show the fullness of grace and truth of the Father. He came to reveal his glory. His life was an invitation: “Come and taste how good my Father isj” (John 1: 14-18). So that is our mission in all our mothering as well.
“God is so good” is no mere children’s song. It is our song as we mother our kiddos through transition, suffering, answers to prayer, walks in our neighborhood, shopping for groceries or process trauma with them.
Some ways we can help our kids live in the goodness of God are:
- Celebrate the gospel. When we do, we are celebrating the goodness and lovingkindness of God our Savior (Titus 3: 4-6).
- Train them daily and teach them about God. By studying the names of God and his attributes, we ponder together the multi-faceted glory of our beautiful God.
- Be gentle when they fail or sin. Our kids are complex beings. Their meltdowns, outbursts of anger, and meanness is multi-layered – with sin being just one component of many. Try to understand them, get down to their level, be aware of your body language and all it communicates. Yes, be faithful to their soul remembering what leads to repentance: God’s kindness (Rom. 2: 4).
- Abide in the steadfast love of the Lord when you apologize and face your own limitations. Sometimes we hijack ourselves. Functionally we live like wanting our kids to be grounded in our goodness. We need them to approve of us. Instead of apologizing, we shame them when they don’t affirm or reflect the good job we think we are doing…because *we* are feeling shame. But friends, his steadfast love assures us redemption is real. So it frees us up to say, “I am sorry,” and to boast in the Lord – “oh sweetheart, God is so much better than me.”
May we pour forth the fame of his abundant goodness so we all know that the Lord is really good to all and his mercy over all that he’s made (Psalm 145: 7, 9).
Aylín Merck 