How the Mommy Wars interfere with Spirit-Driven Parenting

I read this earlier and absolutely loved it. It lead me to ponder the modern day Mommy Wars and give some of my thoughts on the matter.

In my short 5 years of parenting, I have seen and, sadly at times, engaged in the Mommy Wars. Any mother can attest to how ugly the modern day Mommy Wars have become. The Mommy Wars encompass so much: Breast-feeding or Formula. Cloth or Disposable. Epidural or Natural. Homebirth or Hospital. Homeschool, Public school or Private school. Family size: one child or a dozen. Stay at home mom or working mom. Organic or Non-Organic. Which extracurricular activities are best. Which discipline method is right. The list is endless.

I can only imagine that it grieves our Father to see His daughters bickering and at war with each other. When we engage in Mommy Wars, supposing that *our way* is superior, then we fail to acknowledge that Heavenly Father is the author of diversity and individuality.  Is the Earth He created not full of variety? Did He not create us individually, giving to us unique talents, struggles and circumstances?  How can there be absolutes in parenting when there is neither a parent or child in the entire universe that is the same? How can we suppose that our parenting methods are the truth, the full truth, and nothing but the truth?

Mommy Wars achieve little except hurting feelings, wounding hearts, planting seeds of self-doubt and self-contempt. These Mommy Wars are precisely what Satan desires because when we are enlisted and trudging through the battle of judging, criticizing, condemning and hating we are ultimately distracted from our most sacred calling as Mothers. Distraction is a clever tactic of Satan's devised to lead our passions, our minds, our time and energy towards eternally insignificant matters.

But what about our sensitivities to the Spirit and these Mommy Wars? How can we feel the influence of the Spirit assisting in the difficult parental decisions we must make when we engage in Mommy Wars? In short, we cannot. Remaining true to our Christian principles is the only way the Spirit can be with us. Jeffrey R. Holland has said that "the Spirit has a near-impossible task to get through to a heart filled with hate or anger or vengeance or self-pity. Those are all antithetical to the Spirit of the Lord." In essence, we don't just hurt others when we engage in Mommy Wars; we also hurt ourselves. We distance ourselves from a loving God and the guidance of the Spirit.

Let us never forget what Christ taught Simon Peter: "Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren." (Luke 22:31-32) Of these Mommy Wars I can only imagine that he would say the same.

First, SATAN DESIRES TO HAVE YOU. Never forget that. Never doubt that. He is real and very cumming. By enlisting in these Mommy Wars, he has captured our hearts. When we abandon Christ's admonition to love our brethren and sisters as ourselves by shaming or gossiping or judging, then we are in error, which is precisely what Satan desires. He wants to pit daughters of God against each other. Her verses you. Them verses us. This is how he sifts us as wheat, as the scriptures say, and by sifting us, he has distanced us from our Father and His inspiration.

Second, STRENGTHEN YOUR SISTERS, your fellow mommy friends. The Lord doesn't say to strengthen your sister by first judging, berating, or scolding. No. Strengthen her by loving her. Love her as Christ loves her--differences in parenting and all! Strengthen her by accepting her. Accept where she is in her mothering journey. Accept that her journey is different from yours. Strengthen her by celebrating her. Celebrate her individuality and all the things she does well. Celebrate her efforts to do what is best for her family even if it looks different from your family.

I rejoice knowing that our Father has promised His help, especially when it comes to raising children. He will give us individualized help for each individual child, if we choose to SEEK after His help.

Members of most Christian faiths, including mine, believe in personal revelation. We believe that we can ask God for help SPECIFICALLY for our own family. We believe that He will send answers.

Do you believe this is true for you? And if it is, is it also true for your neighbor? And if God is speaking to you AND your neighbor, do you believe...possibly...He could be guiding you in DIFFERENT ways as parents?

The essence of Spirit Driven Parenting is found in 1 Corinthians 2:12: "Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God."

The spirit of the world is about trend.

But the spirit of God is about truth.

No matter what parenting method or issue is popular for families at the moment, God is waiting to reveal truth to you about YOUR family. Because God chose YOU to be the parent of a specific child, He will make sure you have the answers needed for that child. And not only will God's plan differ from family to family, but it may very well differ from one of your own children to the next. This is why parenting MUST be driven and guided by the spirit and not the world. --Whitney Permann of Mercy River

Spirit Driven Parenting. I absolutely love that.

There is only One whose opinion should matter. There is only One who knows best for our families.