The Weekly Encourager - 28 August 2003 - The Lord Who Sanctifies

I have talked with three friends in the last three days who told me they felt like failures as mothers. Their discouragement seemed to be based mostly on their kids' poor performance in some area, academic, social, or behavioral. In each case, the mother seemed to be "doing everything right" biblically: acting in agreement with her husband, having reasonable expectations for the child's age, and patiently repeating the right thing to the child many different times. Yet the child persisted in "not getting it."

(I must add that Dave and I have felt the same frustration with our children on many occasions, some recent. Don't ever think that the author of these columns has perfect children or is the perfect parent!)

Today in Bible Study we discussed one of the Lord's names: "Jehovah-mekoddishkem" in Hebrew, which means "the LORD who sanctifies you." This title for God first appears in the command to observe the Sabbath rest in Exodus 31:12-18. To be sanctified means to be set apart, made holy. In the Old Testament, the people of Israel could only be made holy by strict obedience to God's laws, including daily sacrifices at the Temple to take away sin. But, in our time, through Christ's obedience and perfect sacrifice, believers are now sanctified through Him, by grace.

The point of application is that God clearly states, "I AM the LORD who sanctifies you." No matter how well we do our jobs as moms, we can never change our children by our own power. They will be sanctified by grace, or not at all. We are called to do the best we can in bringing them up to love the Lord, yet the responsibility for true change is God's alone. He is the one who sanctifies our children, in His way and in His time. They are His project, not ours.

O blessed relief! While we are justly concerned and in constant prayer (and effort) for the child who "doesn't get it," we know that if we are faithful in our role, we can be at peace about our children. We don't have to give in to anxiety and fear, or despair and feelings of failure. We don't have to compare our children to someone else's and thus delight Satan. Our job is to continue on, trusting that the Lord will bring honor to His own name. By the way, did I mention that having these frustrating children is part of the sanctification He is working in us? Fortunately for us, our Heavenly Parent never reacts badly when we "don't get it." His response to our disobedience is filled with loving patience, forgiveness, and peace.

May our loving Father's grace flow through our lives to the needy hearts of our children. May our behavior towards them make them want to know Jesus. May we continue on with hope.

"Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass." - 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24

Thank God! He is faithful,