When You Don’t See Immediate Results – Encouragement for Moms

It’s easy to get discouraged when you don’t see immediate results in your parenting. Parenting is a long-term investment. I can’t cash in my parenting efforts next week and hope to see any visible return.  But, if I continue to be faithful in what God has called me to do, if I continue to pray for my children and teach them about God’s love, if I continue to love them and disciple them, then God will be faithful to work in the hearts of my children.       Welcome to episode #006 of The Family Bible Connection Podcast with Laurie Christine!  SHOW INTRO Hey Momma, do you ever feel inadequate to teach your kids about God?  Do they have questions about the Bible that you don’t know how to answer?  Do you want to have family devotions, but you’re just not sure where to start?    You’re in the right place. Welcome to The Family Bible Connection – A community of moms who desperately need Jesus for every step of our parenting journey.  We want our kids to KNOW the Bible and GROW in their love for God & others. We want to prepare our kids to GO into the world as passionate followers of Jesus. I’m your host, Laurie Christine. Through devotional resources, family routines, and Bible study, I will teach you how to create a Christ-centered culture in your home.   WHEN WE DON’T SEE IMMEDIATE RESULTS Do you ever feel like your kids just aren’t getting it?  Do you tell your kids to be kind, and yet there are still fist fights in your home every day?  Do you feel like your efforts are being wasted?  Do you get frustrated when you don’t see immediate results for your parenting efforts? I want to be honest and open with you, sweet Momma. I don’t want you to listen to these podcast episodes and think that I have it all together. Or that my family is perfect. Or that my children are little angels who all sit perfectly still and listen to me read the Bible for hours on end.   Because they don’t! And we’re not (perfect)! Far from it.  I have four boys, ages four to ten. Our house is crazy! There is so much energy and noise and competition and insanity that I sometimes just want to hide.   And I know that’s what your family is like too, even if you don’t want to admit it.  It’s easy to get frustrated and feel like you’re trying to train your kids to follow God, you’re trying to teach them about Jesus, you’re trying to nurture their little hearts, but you just don’t see any changes.  You don’t see immediate results. Let me remind you… our goal in parenting and our purpose for creating a Christ-centered culture in our homes is NOT behavior modification.  Just because your child is sitting down on the outside, he may be shaking his fist on the inside.  I don’t want to just have kids who obey all the rules.  I want my kids to love Jesus with their whole hearts.   Now, don’t get me wrong. When Jesus comes into our lives and changes our hearts, we WILL see an outward change… we will see a change in the outward behavior.  But it doesn’t happen right away.  We’re not just training dogs, we’re discipling children’s hearts.  And heart change is a much slower process than merely modifying someone’s behavior.   PARENTING IS A LONG-TERM INVESTMENT I often have to remind myself that parenting is a long-term investment.  I can’t cash in my investment next week and hope to see any visible return...