When you feel like your words go unnoticed
“The words of King Lemuel, a pronouncement that his mother taught him:” Proverbs 31:1 CSB
Hey mama,
Do you ever feel like the words you speak to your kids go unnoticed? You spend your time diligently encouraging them. You endlessly try to steer them in the right direction. In the craziness around your children, you spend your energy trying to be the voice of reason in their ear. And sometimes they listen to your advice and well, sometimes they don’t. Does it ever seem like you are making a difference in their path or their thought process?
I’ll be honest. Sometimes I wonder if I am even making a difference at all. I’m not going to lie - It’s frustrating when it seems as if they aren’t listening at all.
Sweet friend, I want to encourage you to keep doing what you are doing. I know the struggle you face. I know because I have the same struggle. Sometimes throwing our hands up in defeat seems like the easier thing to do but don’t. Just don’t. The struggle is worth it.
I’ve always been challenged by the words spoken about the Proverbs 31 woman that we read about in the 31st chapter of Proverbs. I don’t know if you have done this, but I’ve tirelessly tried to live up to the standard of the Proverbs 31 woman. No matter how hard I’ve tried, I’ve always felt like a failure – never able to stand toe-to-toe with this woman.
However, the very words written in Proverbs 31 that challenge and convict my soul are the very words spoken from a very wise mama to her son, Lemuel. See, King Lemuel wasn’t the only one that was impacted by his mama’s wisdom. Thousands of years later, her words would impact me as well.
Dear friend, keep doing what you are doing. Keep having the hard conversations. Keep praying like a madwoman. Keep investing the time in developing your child’s character. Because it truly is worth it. You will never know how your words will change the trajectory of their lives for the better. And if in the process you end up changing the lives of some random stranger like this mama did mine; well, that is just icing on the cake!
God,
Thank you for placing women in my life that impact me and challenge me. King Lemuel’s mama probably never dreamed that the words of wisdom that she would speak to her son would impact many future generations – like me. Give me the strength to keep pouring myself into my children. I want to be a positive impact on their life- always pointing them to you and the truth. Help me, Lord. In Jesus Name, Amen.
Dig Deeper:
Read and meditate on the entire chapter of Proverbs 31 – journal what the Lord might be revealing to you about your own words of wisdom to your children.