Our Child's Enemy

This week, we had our "Moms and Muffins" activity with the student body of South Charlotte Baptist Academy.

After the moms (and grandmas) had the opportunity to enjoy some time with their children, I had the opportunity to speak to the moms (and grandmas).

I asked the moms this question:

Are you your child's worst enemy?

(Yes, I know what you're thinking...I was embarking upon dangerous territory!)

I then pointed them to a mother, in the Bible, who ended up being her child's worst enemy. (You can find her in Genesis chapter 27.)

The mother in question is Rebekah and her son's name was Jacob.

While I won't take the time to recount the entire situation, Rebekah led her son, Jacob, to lie to and deceive his father, Isaac, and in the process to incur the wrath of his older twin brother, Esau. To top it all off, because of Esau's wrath (He wanted to kill Jacob!) Rebekah sent Jacob away to live with her brother/his uncle. Unfortunately, what she nor Jacob realized at the time was the fact that Genesis chapter 27 would be the last time that they physically saw one another!

I think it is easy to understand that Rebekah had become her son's worst enemy.

Now, while I certainly do not know whether you are your child's worst enemy - and there are many ways in which you can become your child's worst enemy - my desire is that you don't become your child's worst enemy.

How do you do that?

Allow me to give you three ways (as related to mothers) in which you can avoid becoming your child's worst enemy! (Fathers, you can apply these truths to yourself just as easily!)

Love God!

Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. Matthew 22:37-38

This begins with having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. If you do not have that, I would encourage you to watch the video at www.salvationfocus.com!

Love your husband (or the father of your children)!

Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. Ephesians 5:22

While Ephesians 5:22 states that wives are to submit to their husbands (and verse 23 specifically states that husbands are to love their wives), I believe that you can easily understand that it is much easier to submit to your husbands when you love them.

Also, it may be that you are divorced. That still does not negate the truth that you should love the father of your children. (That can be seen in Matthew 22:39!)

Love your children!

The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not ifalse accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, Titus 2:3-4

If you stop to fully consider what Rebekah did in Genesis chapter 27, you will find that she did not demonstrate love for God; nor love for her husband; nor love for her child (Jacob). Instead, she demonstrated a love for herself! The result? She became Jacob's worst enemy!

In this life, our children are going to faced with many enemies. Don't add to that list and become another of your child's enemies! Instead, love God; love your husband (or the father of your children); and love your children! In so doing you will instead become their greatest help and encouragement in this life!

Until next time...