Here is the MOPS devotion that I recently gave… it seemed to touch the hearts of many Moms as they commented on Facebook or at the meeting.
Do you remember when your child was a baby and the overwhelming, deep love you felt for them. You spent time studying them head to foot, checking out their little fingers, toes, nose and hair. At that moment, you thought it would be easy to love them every moment of their lives.
But then your child started to get their own personality and it was different from what you anticipated. They were different from you, your husband or even your other children. I know that I was amazed at how different each of my daughters were – I mean after all they came from the same parents so they should be the same, right? And yet, each of my daughters were unique, gifted in their own ways and they each wanted their own way.
As Mothers, God calls us to “study our children” – just like you did when you were in school. One way I encourage you to do this, is through The 5 Love Languages developed by Gary Chapman.
First you need to know what the 5 Love Languages are (you can read more about them here):
- Physical Touch
- Words of Affirmation
- Quality Time
- Gifts
- Acts of Service
Then you need to know your Love Language, your husbands and your children. You can learn by reading the book or by taking the assessment test, which can be found here (there are tests on this page for you, your spouse, your children, your teenagers and more).
Once you know and understand the Love Languages of those you love – you should be able to parent more efficiently. One important question, is to know who you are parenting for – it is for yourself (so you will look good), for other (to impress others), our children (to make them happy) or for God (to bring Him glory through parenting them according to the way they were created and gifted).
I hope you realize that God studies you – He created you and now delights in you. He desires a relationship with you and loves you in the manner you need. Just like you explored your baby in the hospital, your Heavenly Father is doing the same with you every day. He knows the number of hairs on your head, He knows what makes you feel loved – He knows you better than you know yourself because He made you.
A great resource for parents is The 5 Love Languages of Children – I encourage you to read all of Gary Chapman’s 5 Love Languages Books so you can better love those who mean so much to you.
Blessings,
Recognize and Remember 
