Discerning God’s plans can be difficult. Sometimes we have ideas of things we think we should do, good things but it isn’t God’s intention for our lives. When we listen to God, when we stay rooted in His word then we are able to follow His direction and learn the wonderful things He wants not only for us but for other’s, including our children!
“My Father David wanted to build this Temple to honour the name of the Lord, the God of Israel. But the Lord said to him, ‘You wanted to build the Temple to honour my name. Your intention is good, but you are not the one to do it. One of your own sons will build the Temple to honour me.”
2 Chronicles 6:7-9
Can you imagine saying to God “I am going to build you a magnificent temple to Honour you!” And God comes back saying “Yeah, no. Your heart is in the right place but one of your kids is going to do that.”
Talk about gaining insight into your life and the life of your children! Learning God’s intentions changes the course of our actions but it also helps us understand the course for other’s, including our children.
I wonder how David felt, knowing that he wasn’t the one to build the temple, but that his son would do it. Was he proud that he was going to raise children who would honour God? Was he grateful that God was going to continue to bless his work through his son? Did he feel bad that his good intentions were not in God’s plans and his idea was going to be handed over to someone else?
Our Intentions Vs. God’s Intentions
How often are we like David, where we say “I am going to do this for you God!” We have a great idea that we know will honour God and we get giddy and excited about it. The thing is, sometimes we aren’t the ones to complete these tasks. Or perhaps we start them but have to let someone else finish them.
Letting go of our (good) intentions can be hard. If we have set our sights on something, being asked to give it up can be challenging. For some, there may be a period of grieving as you release the idea of what you thought you would have or accomplish.
We don’t know if this was the case for David, but it does happen. Sometimes God’s intentions are different from our own, but we can draw strength from this too.
Knowing that someone else gets to pick up the task and carry on with it can be a joy. Especially if it is your child. In David’s case, he knew his son would complete the Temple. I hope that came as a sense of pride for him.
As a parent we want to know that our children will live a life of productivity for God. And if God gives us a glimpse of what they will do, even if it means we have to set aside our own ambitions so they can complete it, we need to be thankful of the opportunity.
Use this devotional and planning pages to help keep yourself organized and living a life for God through the fruits of the spirit! Available on Etsy.
Motherhood Intentions
Sometimes this means as a mom we have to (or already have) give up some of our intentions. Perhaps our bodies are not what they once were, we’ve given up an activity that we know we will never return to but get to watch our children enjoy it instead.
Whatever it may be, we can take comfort knowing that we are God’s workmanship, created for His good works (Ephesians 2:10). If we are raising our children for God and loving them to the best of our abilities, we know that handing our intentions over to God is the best motherhood intention we could have.
Seek God’s plan for your life and if it differs from what you thought, ask for an accepting heart so that you can find joy in God’s intentions for others!
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