Choosing Importance

I'm challenged today as I read through Philippians 2:3-7.

"Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men."

A very popular and well-visited passage. However, today, the Lord had me look at it with fresh eyes - through the lens of parenting. I was confronted with the question: As a mother, am I fleshing this out for my children? I know as a mom, I am continually serving my children: I cook for them, clean up their messes, nurse their "owies," and so much more. So, I get the "bond-servant" and "looking out for the interests of others." But, what struck me, is the "regard one another as more important than yourselves."

As a mom, I am in authority over my girls. So its easy for my mind to conclude that my "to-do" list must be more important than their requests to play. I mean, I have adult things to do, which are clearly more important than kid things, right? So, when I have a task that I want to get done, it simply needs to get done...it's obviously important. Even if my girls are asking and asking for me to get down and play dolls with them, or take them to get ice-cream, or read a book to them...I have more important Grown-Up tasks to do, right? Those things that they are wanting are just "playing", right? Wrong. That is what the Spirit was pressing upon my heart today as I sat before His Word. Yes, there are times when there are tasks that need to be completed, but really...how pressing are they at that moment? Sometimes, that may be the case, that it needs to be taken care of right then, but many times that is not so. Can it be done at another time in the day when the kids are busy doing other things, or in bed? By constantly choosing my "to-do" list over my children's precious and beautiful desire to spend time with their mommy, it communicates to them that they are less important than the list of things on a piece of paper. That is simply not true and that is NOT what I want to communicate to my dear ones.

So, I am choosing to regard them as more important than myself; more important than my "to-do" list - they are my "to-do" list. Their beautiful names (along with my husband's) are permanently at the top of my list. Their innocent curiosity for the world around them, their desire to learn how to jump rope, their smiles that arise from a tickle-fight are important to me - and I will choose to make that evident to them. God created them to be curious and to seek the face and attention of their parents (just as we were created for the same in regards to Him!). So, I will honor them (and in doing so, honor God) by regarding their interests as important to me each day. And may the result be that they see Christ's glory and love as I seek to reflect Him to them.

Oh, Lord, please bless my efforts to make much of You in my parenting. May you increase and I decrease.