Keeping my word to Wendy

In reading through the Proverbs the last several weeks I was reminded of a comment I made to my friend Wendy.

Wendy is the mother of two adorable tots. 

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She is doing a wonderful job as a mom.  In light of God’s providence she has many opportunities pulling on her every day.  I am proud of her for choosing the most important; her relationship with God and her husband.

In conversation she asked about the verses I had taught our children as preschoolers. I told Wendy I would give them to her soon.  Although, this “soon” is only relative, here are some of the verses we taught them:

Proverbs 22: 1  “A good name is more desirable than great riches…”

Proverbs 3: 7  “Do not be wise in your own eyes…”

Proverbs 9: 10  “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom…”

Proverbs 15: 13  “A happy heart makes the face cheerful…”

Psalms 34: 13 “Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking lies.”

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Hebrews 13: 16 “And do not forget to do good and to share with others…”

Matthew 5: 9 “Blessed are the peacemakers…”

Matthew 5: 37 “Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes’ and your ‘No’, ‘No’”

Matthew 7: 12 “So in everything do to others what you would have them do to you…”

Wendy, in keeping with letting my 'Yes' be 'Yes' I thought I would share theses verses with you and the readers of Parakaleo. 

A Woman of My Word

Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' 

and your 'No,' 'No'; 

anything beyond this 

comes from the evil one. 

- Matthew 5:37

Lately the Lord has highlighted an area I need to correct in my life. With the craziness of having two very active boys, and being three months pregnant,  I have learned that my memory is going and many times I agree to something and later forget about it. On the flip of that, I have also said, to my kids, there would be a consequence for a behavior done away from home and later forgotten about that too. This bothers me. I don't want my boys to remember back to their childhood and think, "Oh Mom never followed through with what she said, and we could never count on her word for truth." That is a powerful thing to think about. Because we tell them the Truth of God as well and we want them to believe it is true when we share it, but if they have come to second guess our words then they may do that with the Lord as well. 

So Moms....with every problem in life we have two options: (1) to sulk OR (2) to solve. I have chosen the latter and decided to put a white board in my kitchen to write down my "commitments" to my children in order to be a woman of my word. I know that the Word of God says to let my yes be yes and I really want to strive for that in my life. It has been said many times, and is oh so convicting, that our children will look to us, as moms, as the standard for how wives and moms behave. I need to change. I want to look like Jesus...a Truth teller who impacts others because of his character!

Are you characterized by others as one who keeps your word and follows through?

How are you doing with keeping your "commitments" to your kids?

Do you let consequences go because it is easier?
Believe me...easier now but very detrimental later. I have learned this the hard way and am now backtracking to make up for my mistakes.

Do you sulk or try to solve issues that come up? 
Allow issues to be growing experiences....trust me someday the Lord will use your trials to encourage another!