Podcast Review: Raising them in His Image

Do you listen to podcasts? If you are not familiar with the term “podcast,” they can be defined as a digital recording of a a radio show, or similar audio medium, that you can download or stream with a device that connects to the internet.

For those of you with iPhones, all you have to do is click the podcast button on your screen and you have instant access to millions of hours of free content.

This month, I am recommending the following podcast for you from the Gospel Coalition, dated December 15, 2014. It is titled, “Raise Them in His Image, Not Yours.”

I’m going to go ahead and give you a summary of this podcast because it had a tremendous wealth of wisdom packed into about 7  minutes.

If focuses on this question:

What is the most paradigm shifting moment you have had as a mom? Here are the three responses recorded.

1. The first mother described a busy day when she had lots of important things to complete. However, her small son threw up on her and she had to tend to him in his illness. She says God was teaching her, “You can either choose to fight it and be angry with your circumstances or you can let Me parent you while you parent your children. This isn’t an inconvenience. This is your call for today.” The Lord grew her in grace as she willingly sacrificed her plans to care for another person. As she says. “What is more Christ like than to set aside your own agenda and take on the more important one?”
2. The second mother shared that she, like most parents, wants her children to be just like her or some better version of herself. Instead, she needs to allow God to shape her children into His image. With social media, it’s hard for her to fall into the comparison trap and tweet every good moment and hide the rest. She wants to compare her children to the Word rather than the world. She admits, “It’s hard because you get this misconception that I gave birth to this child so I am this child’s creator. But you’re not this child’s creator. And so it’s that true Creator’s image that we have to lead them toward and point them toward.”
3. The third mom shared about a time her oldest child was 5 and going to birthday party where she would leave him. They were showing a movie she didn’t want him to see because images stick in his head and he had nightmares. She asked another mom for advice because she was concerned about what other mom’s would think if she intervened. The mom told her, “I believe I will give account to God for the way that I have raised these children. So I don’t care what another mother thinks about my parenting decisions because I’m accountable to Him.” It was a clear and obvious message and exactly what she needed in order to reframe the conversation.

I have not listened to many other podcasts from the Gospel Coalition yet. But I recommend that you download several podcasts with strong Christian messages to listen as you get ready in the morning or as you drive around town, so that God’s Word can encourage you throughout the day.