My name is Naomi. I’m a Jesus girl, daughter, sister, friend, wife and mom. I could spend paragraphs, or at least a couple of sentences, telling you all about my enneagram number, personality type, books I’ve read or am reading, homeschool curriculum choices….you get the picture. But today I had a quick conversation with a friend that made me stop and take inventory.

• What is the source of my anxiety?

• Where am I pushing things unnecessarily to get an outcome that may not happen in the foreseeable future?

• How is my anxiety coupled with my need to control this outcome affecting those around me?

As I stood over my kitchen stove tonight it hit me, I don’t want to raise a Judas. I have no desire to raise an imposter, a poser. I don’t want to raise a son (or a daughter had I had one) that is able to look the part without having the heart. No “fake it ‘til you make it” theory here.

As a Jesus girl, faith is a very real, very important part of my daily life. Granted, I don’t always get it right. (I am, however, humbly grateful for grace!) When it comes to my sons, I desire to see each one of them grow into men of integrity and strong character. Men that love and serve Jesus Christ and His bride, the church, faithfully. Tonight it hit me hard, I have to invite them in…into my quiet times, into prayer, into reading The Holy Bible together and discussing it. Offering opportunities to serve Christ’s bride and our community, and who knows, maybe even the world!

However, because we are real people, our Sunday mornings and Wednesday nights often look like bickering and fighting because my boys don’t want to always go to church for Jesus. Sometimes it’s going for hanging out with friends. Sometimes they dress up and sometimes it looks like sweatpants, T-shirts and a wrestling mask. I realize more and more each day that my life on an average Monday night and an average Thursday morning should look no different than it does on Sundays.

As a mom, discipleship of my sons can only go as far as I’m willing to let go of my need for control and allow them to see and experience faith as God in Christ intends.

This also means that I must be a disciple myself. Choosing Christ first…His Word, His will, His way, His timing, His promises. My obedience to Him has the potential to ripple effect into the lives of my sons and into generations to come.

I just don’t want to raise kids that can “play the game” or that will turn their backs on the faith, my faith. Truth be told, I’m not the mother of Judas. I am mom to my own sons, and while I can’t make certain decisions for them, particularly ones of eternal consequence, I can continually invite them in, discipling them along the way and praying the Holy Spirit works in and through them.

• What does discipleship currently look like in your life? What does it need to look like?

• Where is the Holy Spirit drawing you to obedience personally? What about as a family?

• How could faithfully obeying Christ impact you, your family, friends and/or community now and for years to come?