Never Settle

I want to teach my kids so many things. I want to teach them how to forgive themselves when they’ve messed up and how to have compassion for others. I want to teach them what it’s like to serve the Lord and the amazing feeling that goes along with it. I want to teach them lots of things and I’m sure I’ll teach them a few things that I’d rather not have passed along.

One thing I want to teach my kids is to “never settle.” Because we settle so much in life.

We settle for mediocrity when we could have amazing.

We settle for “what is and has always been” when we could have “new and exciting.”

We settle for being what someone else has told us we are.

Without even realizing it (or maybe WITH realizing it), we settle. Fear grips us from reaching out to change where we currently are. We’re afraid of what “could be” because we think it “shouldn’t be or “probably won’t be” and where would that leave our bruised and scarred hearts?

I want to teach my kids to think outside of the box. To learn that those in charge of you don’t always know what is best for you. To take your every dream, wish, concern, and hurt to the Lord in prayer and let HIM show you what is and what is not to be. We let human voices into our heads too often and let them penetrate too deeply.

If I can teach my kids not to settle for what the rest of the world throws their hands up over…I think I will have given them something that will carry them through so many storms and challenges in life. If I can only get the point across to them that settling isn’t a sign of being content and obedient; but one of abandon and loss…I will have helped give them a valuable tool for fighting for who God created them to be.

The world wants us to settle. It wants us to give up the fight and give in to the pressures, temptations, labels, and demands all around us. It wants us to settle for materialism, the myth that money buys happiness, that “I” come first, image means everything, size matters, and so much more.

I don’t care if my children learn how to cook. It would be nice, but it’s not life altering. I’m not too concerned with whether or not they get a college degree, or if they like the same activities and things I do. I am however, concerned about their morals, values, and character.

I AM concerned with how deep their roots will be and how strong their armor will be once they go out into the world on their own.

May I teach them now. May I arm them, now.  And may they never – ever – settle.