The Best Inheritance

“God gives us our children because of how much He loves us.”

“Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from Him.” Psalm 127:3 (NLT)

Children truly are a gift. Some Bible translations use the word “heritage” which, by definition, means that we are inheriting them from God. 

Have you ever inherited anything? Think of how fond we are of things we’ve inherited. How much we love them and how much they mean to us. We take extra care to keep them in good condition and maybe even proudly display them in our homes. 

That’s kind of what it’s like when we receive our children from God. We love them so much. But He loves them more. Our children are one of our highest priorities but they’re so much more to Him than to us. We (try to) keep them in good condition, make sure they’re taken care of, loved, and secure. But God is the ultimate provider of protection, love and security. 

Just like when our parents or grandparents pass down a beloved possession, God gives us our children because of how much He loves us. They are a reward from Him. A gift. A blessing. 

But to me, children don’t always feel like blessings. Sometimes it feels like I haven’t been rewarded, but given my life’s biggest challenge.

I have four children. For a long time I thought I would only have two. Two was a good, easy number. Yes, I wanted more (babies are my jam), but it just didn’t make sense for my family. But God had other plans. He surprised and blessed my family with another gift. And then another. 

Some days are really hard. I have a lot of days where I feel like I’m drowning in the needs of children. My cup is always empty from constantly pouring into four other cups. I’m so tired. Always. I’m so burnt out. 

But I’m also so blessed. My life is so full of love, laughter and silliness. God has given my life purpose through my children. 

When I’m having hard days, that’s the perfect time to drop everything I’m doing and pray, thanking God for rewarding me again and again and again and again. Thankfulness always brings a renewed way of thinking about my life. God gave me these tiny, adorable little blessings for a reason and it wasn’t to torture me. I have a job to do. I’m called to take care of them. Love them. Teach them. Make them into functioning human beings. And most importantly, lead them straight back to the One who gave them to me. 

Children are a gift from the Lord.

They are a reward from Him.

They are our heritage.

Action Steps:

• Reflect: How do you see your children? As blessings? Or burdens? Are you taking care of the heritage God has given you? Loving them well? Leading them back to Him?

• When you’re overwhelmed by those little blessings, stop. Take a step back. Pray. You don’t need to leave the room and find a quiet spot (although those quiet, purposed prayers are important too!), just stop where you are and thank God for giving you those rewards. Ask Him to direct your next steps and to see your children the way He sees them. 

• Remember you’re not alone. Go to God first, but reach out to a mom friend also. We’re all in this together and chances are, a friend will be happy to help you figure out a way to take a break. 

Written by Cathrine, mom of 4 blessings