![How I Invite God in for the Good of my Kids [day 13: invite]](https://essenceofamber.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/cropped-essence-of-amber.png)
I have befriended a woman in my neighborhood who has a daughter just a year older than Jo. Naturally, I want to get together with my friend so I bring her along to spend time with her “friend”– I use the term loosely in this case. The problem is, for whatever reason, she just has little to no interest in being friends with this little lady. She’s sweet as can be but they just haven’t hit it off. We keep getting together, and every time the girls giggle a little more and sit a little closer. We are getting there.
In some ways, I want to force my daughter into a relationship with Jesus, too. I want so badly for her to trust Christ and surrender her life to Him. But she’s still young and lacking understanding. I can’t invite Jesus into her heart — that’s something only she can do — but I can invite Him into our lives. I invite him to our table where we break bread and talk about our days. I can invite him on our walks when the words of our hearts seem to flow out more naturally. I invite Him to the foot of the bed where we read books and pray in His name each night before bed. I invite Him into crinkled covers when she slides next to me in the morning as I read my Bible.
I can’t make her know Him, but I can help her know about Him. As I invite Him into our daily lives, I give her opportunity to crack open the door of her heart just a little bit more. As I celebrate small, I praise Him for each opportunity He gives to talk about His goodness, to lean on Him as a family during hardship, and to thank Him for the big and little ways He shows up in our days.
I trust that a relationship that arises naturally out of a true appreciation of who He is and what He has done for her will be real and rooted. Truly, it is not something a mother can force on a child. I’m still going to keep trying in the case of our neighborhood friend though.
05:00
How can you invite Jesus into your daily life?
Talk to me in the comment section below!
Hi Amber,
I’m a bit like your daughter with Jesus. I know him I think. I know him with the interactions I’ve seen him have with people in the bible and through experience, but I’m still hesitant to trust him. Trust that he knows my heart. But I love that he’s put people in my life that know him and help me to see him. Invite me to experience with them.
I love how you invite your daughter to be still with you as you read your bible. ☺️ I pray that friendship grows too.
Julia, I appreciate your raw honesty. I am praying God will reveal Himself personally to you and that you will begin to thrive in relationship with him! Thank you so much for your comment.
THIS:”I can’t make her know Him, but I can help her know about Him.”
Thanks, Tara!
You are SO right! It’s difficult as a parent to watch our children sometimes isn’t it? We want only what’s best for them, but we can’t make them. Forcing our children to believe can only lead to bitterness and separation. We must gently guide them to Jesus and to the Gospel and let God do the rest.
Yes! This is a very good point and something I have learned from parents who are very special to me that have an adult child that hasn’t accepted Christ. They just keep loving her and telling her the truth when they are able. If there is no relationship, there is no opportunity to share Him. I love how you said “gently guide.” I am going to chew on that for a while! Thanks!
I knew about Him for a long time; but it took years before I thought I could know Him.
He shapes the path to the individual, I think.
#1 at FMF this week.
https://blessed-are-the-pure-of-heart.blogspot.com/2017/10/your-dying-spouse-381-taking-care-of.html
Thankful for a God that patiently and lovingly pursues us. So grateful that we can know Him. Thank you for your comment, Andrew. I hope you are feeling well.
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