For seemingly the millionth time yesterday, my four-year-old daughter threw herself on the floor, distraught and overcome, because she had to share something that belonged to her. Tears flowed, feet were stomped. Her sweet little cousin stood nearby, wide-eyed, clutching the beloved Hello Kitty purse and asking, “Why is Evie sad?”
Well, sweet cousin, Evie’s heart believes that little purse is her treasure. And if you lose your treasure, understandably, you weep.
So, for the millionth time, I took her into aside to have this conversation:
Evie, your heart is lying to you.
Evie, God tells us that people – who are made in His image – are more important than purses.
Evie, that purse was never meant to make your heart happy.
Evie, only Jesus can make your heart lastingly happy.
Evie, if you have Jesus, you can lose everything in this world and not lose your joy.
Evie, He’s better. Jesus is better.
Honestly, I often feel tired of telling her. I say the words knowing that we will likely be having the exact same conversation tomorrow. I watch her face and know that my words are being heard, but that her heart isn’t changed. My words, by themselves, are unable to do that.
So, why do I keep doing it? Why, almost every day, do I keep having the conversation with her when I know that my words, by themselves, are powerless to change her? When I know the words will likely be heard and dismissed, needing to be repeated again the following day?
Because I’m hoping and praying that one day those words will be accompanied by Someone. That one day, when I say, “Evie, Jesus is better than what you are grasping for. Jesus is the treasure that your heart wants and can never lose” – that the Holy Spirit will come with those words. And He will enlighten her dark heart and for the very first time, when she hears those words with her ears, a new Spirit-filled heart given to her will cause her to believe them.
As moms, we never know if that day will come or when it might be. So, we speak the Truth to our children – not because we believe our words are powerful to change them – but because we believe the Spirit of God may choose today to use our words to powerfully change them.
Click to tweet: Our words are not powerful enough to change our children, but the Holy Spirit may choose to use our words. @suhangela
So I will keep telling my daughter, every day, one million times that Jesus his better. And while I speak, I will pray that He would make her heart believe.