A Light Bulb Flips On

Our children can feel like they are drowning in the assaults of the evil one.

A troubling thing has plagued us for years. Our three oldest children have told us at times during their teen years that they felt like, no matter what they did, they couldn't please us. We have rebuked this as a lie from the evil one each time. But, still we were baffled why they would feel this way. We have always encouraged them, cheered them on, picked them up and dusted them off when things got tough, and bragged on them to anyone who would listen. So how on earth could they all feel this way??? When we talked through it and got past the "emotion" of the situation that brought it to the surface, they recognized that we do always try to encourage and support them. Of course, there are times when they needed correction. But, why would they all listen to the lies of the evil one telling them that they could never be "good enough" for us. 

Then last night, it dawned on me!

Since one of the main ways the evil one attacks Believers is through their identity in Christ, even our kids, raised in a home striving to honor the Lord, can be sucked into that lie. Everything about the world's culture screams, "Unworthy! Not enough! Rejected!" at them. They are bombarded by messages filled with lies. It's hard for us, as parents, to really comprehend the intensity of the attack on their identity. Sure, the evil one used the same tactics on us as we were growing up, but just think how the advances in technology have made the delivery of his lies so much easier, more prolific. Our children can be under attack all day long. Every day. So then when we need to deal with a character issue, even if we do it in an appropriate manner, it can be the "straw that breaks the camel's back". It can cause them to view needed discipline as one more attack on their value, their worth.

But what if, instead of being just "encouraging, supportive" parents we actively spoke blessings over them, over their lives? On a regular basis? Isn't that the perfect weapon to wield against such lies from the pit? Wouldn't it equip them to stand? It just makes so much sense. We have grieved over this. Grieved their pain. Questioned our parenting. We have asked ourselves and the Lord what we did wrong? What did we miss? How could our children feel this way? 

But if we had, from their early years, actively spoken the Lord's Blessings over them, filling them with an understanding of what the Lord has already done and is doing in their lives, doesn't it seem that they would not so easily have listened to the lies? Sure, we prayed for them. We prayed with them. We tried to encourage them. But, in the face of the determined attacks of the enemy, we didn't actively cover them with His Blessings. We didn't know to.

They are all believing the Lord's definition of their worth and identify now. But, could they have been spared much pain had we known then what we are learning now? I believe it would have made a HUGE difference. And in His Mercy, it's not too late. We can still speak these blessings over them and the Lord can restore and repair any broken places in the walls of their hearts. He is the Healer. And, they can be equipped with this understanding so that, as they become parents, they can speak blessings over their children from the beginning. 

To think that our next four children can be spared much of that pain gives us so much Hope. I am excited to see the Lord at work through us being His conduit of spoken blessings to our children!

He is so Faithful! Thank You, Lord! 


Previous Posts about The Power of Spoken Blessings:
1. Spoken Blessings 
2. Spoken Blessings, Part II 
3. But How Do We Actually Speak Blessings? 
4. Unexpected Benefit 
5. Chapter 6: Blessing Our Children