Mom, You Have 950 Weeks to Influence the Next Generation

As mothers, we are given a great responsibility in raising up the next generation and we are only given a short amount of time to make an impact in their lives.

Four of my favorite moms in the Bible are Jochebed, Hannah, Eunice and Louis. Jochebed, the mother of Moses, hid her son for 3 months before setting him in the waters of the Nile River. Hannah dedicated her son, Samuel, to God and left him with Eli the Priest. Eunice and Louis poured into Timothy all the knowledge and wisdom a mother and grandmother could. Moses grew up to lead his people to the Promised Land. Samuel grew up to become a prophet and advisor to two kings. Timothy was a young teen when he left with Paul to preach the Gospel.

“Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” (Proverbs 22:6)

All four moms had a short amount of time to influence their children. They trusted that God would increase the knowledge and wisdom they taught their children. They understood that, “children are a gift from God” (Psalm 127:3), and that by “teaching them in the way of wisdom they will have led them on the right path” (Proverbs 4:11). They embraced the responsibility that was imparted to them as mothers.

From the time a child is born until they turn 18 years old and graduate high school is somewhere around 950 weeks. We are given 950 weeks to impact, influence, love, correct, motivate, inspire and instill all we can in our children. We are to teach them what is right and wrong, show them the truths of God’s Word and point them in the right direction.

Moms, we are given ample open doors to step through and create moments of teaching and influence in the lives of our children. We wear many hats: nurturer, doctor, nurse, teacher, cab driver, cook, house keeper, homework helper, tutor, clothes washer, cheerleader, disciplinarian, counselor and therapist just to name a few. With each hat, comes another opportunity to train up our children.

“You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.” (Deuteronomy 6:7)

You are a mom. God has chosen you for such a time as this. He has plans for you as a mom to prosper you and not to harm you, to give you a hope and a future. Embrace the responsibility God has entrusted to you as mothers. Seek and grasp every chance to instill another nugget of truth into your children. Be quick to listen and slow to speak. Look into their eyes and soak in every word from their mouths. Enjoy the gift God has given you. Laugh and love always.

How will you use the weeks you have left with your children? How will you train them in the way that they should go?