The Hand That Rocks The Cradle

It's an old cliche' but it packs a lot of meaning. "The hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world."

What an awesome burden this places on the Christian mother. To be largely responsible for the direction of the world in general is a tremendous responsibility to be placed on the shoulders of a woman who already feels incapable of rearing her offspring.

But, like it or not, that's the way it is. It makes a mother stop and think. Am I doing all I can to see that future generations have the emotional and educational tools to rule the world? Will my children make a difference?

Realizing the impact that mothers make, we should be all the more aware that, without God, it's impossible for us to excel in motherhood. The job is much too important, much too great, for us to handle alone.

Like anything else, raising children has a bigger perspective than we understand. We want to get our children raised. We want them to have a good education, healthy bodies and working skills. We want them to be good fathers and mothers and serve the Lord. But what of leadership?

We need some good strong leaders. Both in the church world and in the world in general. Are we doing everything we can to make it happen? Are we instilling a responsibility into our children?

I guess I'm writing "tongue in cheek", because I really don't know all the answers for raising children to become leaders. But I know one who does.

We don't want our children to grow up wanting to be in the lead. We want them to grow up to be leaders. There's a world of difference. We want children who stand out, not because they are important, but because they have an important goal, and they want others to follow.

It breaks my heart when I see mothers who encouraged, and not only encourage but teach their children to do wrong. Not just by example, but by willful instruction.

Mothers teach their daughters to become prostitutes. Mothers teach their children to steal. Mothers teach their children to kill. Mothers teach their children to hate. Mothers teach their children all manner of sin.

This is not a modern trend. Even in the scriptures we read of a mother who taught her son to do evil things. II Chronicles 22:3 states, "He also walked in the ways of the house of Ahab: for his mother was his counsellor to do wickedly." How sad.

God help us to remember that you have entrusted us with one of your most precious gifts. A child. Help us to take this responsibility seriously.

Proverbs has one of the most quoted scriptures of my generation. "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it." Proverbs 22:6

Mothers, along with your husbands, you're the one that God requires to teach your child the right way to walk. Not the church, not the school, not the government--but you.

Psalms 127:3 "Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord..."

God help us to realize that these hands which rock the cradle are the same hands that are molding our leaders of tomorrow. Unless we shape them with good values, evil will prevail. It's up to us mothers. It's a heavy weight, but it's the future of our children and grandchildren that we're shaping. They are our heritage.

By: Jacquelyn Horne