I wouldn't wish that for my kids

So what are your dreams and aspirations for your children? Some of us wish for happiness. Some success, and some of us well wealth. I mean what are we really saying when we aspire for our kids to go for that specialty degree in college. Or for them to continue to search for that one thing that will make them happy whether it is in sports or that hobby. And of course it is so important that they always always do their best.

Don't get me wrong, I do this all the time. I want so bad for my children to succeed in life and to be happy and not have to struggle with being poor. But when I so my bible study and I read Matthew 19:23 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven.", I take real pause.

Why would I want that for my child?

I wouldn't. My real goal for my children is to raise them up to trust, hear and obey The Lord. Then to spend their lives going fishing for men. So why is it so hard to not get caught up in "the wants" for our children? Constantly, I hear people praising their kids for their worldly accomplishments. For heaven's sake, I have Joslyn's soccer medal hanging on the wall. 

Sometimes I think we feel like they can have both. But it says in the Bible this isn't possible. 

Matthew 6:24 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money."

I have learned In Celebrate Recovery that happiness doesn't last. It's temporary. And God doesn't promise us happiness in this life.  In fact if we are followers of Christ he tells us the opposite. 

John 15:18-19 “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you."

No one wants their child to be hated. We fight all the time for our children to accepted and loved. In fact most of us are still fighting for the world to love us. I struggle with this as a people pleaser, or codependent. But when we turn to God with our sorrows and troubles, He in turn gives us joy.

What I guess I'm saying is that I should be praising and rewarding my children for  doing their quiet time. Maybe there should be medals for number of lives saved. Who's handing out the crowns for the most humble child? Oh yeah, I guess God is! Store for yourself treasures In heaven!

So maybe we shouldn't hand out medals.  But maybe I should be a little more cautious about what I am striving for in my children. What about you? Should we do it together?