Today we have a guest post by Mary of The Encouraging Home…
Boys…they are such a gift. Boy mommas have quite the challenge before them. How to encourage the warrior hearts that God put into boys, that will help them one day grow into husbands and leaders, while teaching them to be gentlemen and have a tender heart?
It is a task that causes you to be on your face before God. Praying all the time. Praying for wisdom. Praying for safety and for them to just stay alive during their young years. Praying for protection from the evilness of the world that seeks to destroy our sons. Praying that they will grow up to be men who change the world for God.
A warrior heart is a special part of being a boy. The part that makes them want to explore, lead, protect, fight, wrestle, win…all things that will help boys become men. Traits that they need to succeed in this world.
It is not often easy for moms to encourage the warrior in their sons. Mothers are nurturers and we like to protect our children from the physical and emotional scrapes they receive growing up. I grew up in a household full of boys and was the only girl in a long line of boys. I was used to the ways of boys so it has been easier for me to encourage this part, but the mommy in me wants to step in at times to keep them from doing things that are just boyish but scare me {because I am a girl}.
It is our task to mold and shape these future men. It is easy to think that we are raising little boys, but we are raising men. Childhood is a short time. Training and decisions made will impact their lives, as well as future generations.
We need to examine how we view our sons…do we see them as mess makers, trouble makers, wild things that need to be tamed? Or do we see them as precious gifts and vessels that the Lord is raising up to change the world?
Many of the traits in them that we view as problems are gifts. We need to pray for the correct attitude and understanding of these little men. Think of great men throughout history…they started off like your sons and look what they became. Many of these men talk about the love of their mother that caused them to succeed. Our sons need a mom who is on their side and is a prayer warrior on their behalf.
There is an attack in our society to feminize men and put them down. Everywhere you look, men are made fun of. Our sons need us on their team. They need us to love them, nurture them, train them, respect them, listen to their dreams and ideas, teach them the honorable traits of a man, allow them to be little men, become entrepreneurs, give them responsibilities, be warriors, be our hero and let them know we are proud of them.
Let them spend time with Daddy or other men that you trust, so they can see what being a man is all about. Our sons even walk different and act more masculine when they have been with Daddy. They also need to see us respect our husbands, so they will see the marriage relationship in a proper view.
They also need us to show them the gentler part of a real man~ to become gentlemen and have a servant heart. Let them open the door for you and encourage them to open the door for others, especially ladies and the elderly. Have them empty the grocery cart and load the car (as they get older). Encourage them to look for ways to serve others.
I am always amazed at the responses I get about my young gentlemen when they do these things…it is a rare thing to see these days, but something we have always instilled. They see the example set by their father and know that I value the importance of a man.
The most important part of this job is prayer. We can’t do it alone, Mom. It is an awesome responsibility that God has chosen us for and has given us the tools to do it. He will help us be courageous, because parenting is tough. If we follow His Word and seek His will, we will have what we need for this journey of raising men.
Resources to help you pursue the heart of your sons:
Raising Real Men: Surviving, Teaching and Appreciating Boys by Hal and Melanie Young
Warrior Prayers: Praying the Word for Your Boys in the Areas They Need It the Most by Brooke McGlothlin
The MOB Society (Mothers of Boys)
Mary is a farm girl and homeschooling mom to 2 sons. She has been married to her husband for almost 14 years. She is passionate about her faith and strives to find balance in home life, farm life, homeschooling, and healthy living. She blogs at The Encouraging Home. She tries to encourage others to stay focused on the Lord and the things that truly matter, even through stress, chaos, and trials. She also loves to help people live healthy the natural way through essential oils, living clay, and other ways.
