Being a mother has been my job for the past 5 years. I have gone through many seasons of life with my children, both challenging and rewarding, but nothing hit harder than sending my son to Kindergarten this year.

He would now be spending more time with other people than ever, away from my watchful eye, comfort, and protection. This experience threw me into a time of reflection. I felt the Lord pressing upon my heart several questions:

How will my son respond when he sees behaviors that are not Christ like?

Will he understand the difference in living for Christ vs living for the world?

What can I do better to reiterate the values that we want to instill within him?

Our Church is in a study of Matthew where some of these points were directly addressed by Jesus.

Matthew writes about the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus said, “Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 5:16, ESV

Reflecting on the words of Jesus helped me to understand that my children are bound to be introduced to influences outside of my control, BUT I need to continue to focus on my good works and being intentional in living a Christ-like life, to have the greatest impact on my children’s desire to glorify God.

I want my thoughts, words, and actions to reflect Christ in me to my children. I want them to know that I am critical of anything I give my attention to. I want them to see me in bible study, in prayer, and at church. I want them to look back on their time with me and know that I was walking with the Lord, giving them the confidence to do the same.

Our greatest testimony to our kids can be how we live our lives.