Mother to Daughter (part 2)

Later, I shared this experience with a friend, who was a spiritual leader and minister, and God gave us both the knowledge and wisdom to examine the situation deeper. During our conversation, we recognized that when my daughter repeatedly said, “I’m sorry,” it wasn’t just directed at me but also at God. Her heart was convicted. 

The Holy Spirit fulfills his promise of guiding us and reminding us of the teachings of Jesus Christ (John 14:26 KJV). He convicts us to righteousness that prompts us to examine our thoughts, behaviors, and heart posture according to Scripture. If we neglect this examination, we risk remaining trapped in the same negative patterns, leading to rejecting the guidance of the Holy Spirit. In this counseling from Jesus, we reflected on Ephesians 6:1-3 that children should obey and honor their parents in the Lord. We confirmed that her disobedience (her refusal to answer the questions followed by going to her room) was an act against God and it was crucial that she knew what she was feeling and why she was experiencing it as it is written in Scripture. Later on that afternoon, I pointed out the passage of Scripture to her and encouraged her to reflect on it and to recognize the need for repentance (Acts 26:20 CSB; 2 Cor 7:10)  as it will help align her actions with her growing faith. Additionally, I explained to her the meaning of repentance - indeed, it is to be genuinely sorry but it is to also turn your attention away from the sin and place your eyes on Jesus. I then gave her some insight on what to include in her prayer based on what we read in Scripture, and left out of her room so she could be with the Lord in private.

This mother-daughter dynamic can vary greatly as some relationships are close-knit, while others may be more strained. This scenario serves as a testament to the ongoing struggle between the spirit and flesh - a struggle that has been observed across generations. I have witnessed this struggle with my daughter as my mom saw it with me as her mom (my grandmother) saw it with her and so forth. This cycle speaks to the importance of guiding our children with love and the Word of God so that they can learn and grow in their faith.

I still remember the rebellious spirit I had as a teenager. The moments I called myself catching an attitude with my mother or talking back occasionally to her having to tell me one time too many to do something. The frustrations I sensed coming from my mother raising three children on her own, just as she sensed it in her mother with raising six children, I am feeling just by raising one. At 39 years old, my grandmother passed away due to lung cancer. The six with the youngest being eight and the oldest at 22 at the time, leaned on one another for strength and comfort. I have witnessed their foundation built based on their own understanding of survival. And now, it’s my generation’s turn, and the same patterns of survival have continued as we raise another generation. Much like my family, I’ve noticed similar observations with other families, and it is only by the grace of God that generation after generation after generation exists, because we are all far away from the Way.

Since my walk with Christ began, I learned that while salvation can’t be forced on anyone, I have fallen short in training my daughter in the way of the Lord (Deut 6:6-7 KJV; Prov 22:6 KJV). Instead, unknowingly, I’ve instilled in her a false spiritual teaching centering on worldly beliefs. My own shaky foundation in faith, especially with being raised in a non-Christian household, has contributed to this pattern, something of which I have had to repent. Now that my eyes have been opened to the Truth, revealing God’s love through Jesus to my daughter and watching the seed grow.. It’s more than just my life at stake. It’s an entire line of generations.

Morgan