“Mommy, what did you want to be when you grew up?”  Andrew asked one day while playing with toys in the floor.  This one question started an exchange of ideas between my boys.  That particular week Aaron wanted to be a Biblical Archeologist and Andrew wanted to be a FBI agent.   As mothers do, I started pondering.  What was it I wanted my boy to be when they grew up?  Sure, every mother wants the best for her children.  Did I want them to get a good college education?  Did I want them to have a successful, good paying career?  Did I want them to have a beautiful wife, 2.5 children, a dog, two-story home, and luxury cars and take extravagant vacations?  If my standards were based on the world I would be saying, Yes, Yes, and Yes!   But as I searched my heart I had to admit that these things were not my deepest desires for my boys.  You see, my desire is not for my boys to live for this world (I Jn 2:15).  I don’t want my boys to try and get all they can here on earth (Matt. 6:24).  I don’t want them laying up treasures here where moth and rust corrupts and thieves break through and steal (Matt. 6:19).  What I truly want for my boys is for them to love God above all, for loving God is the only thing that will bring true peace. I want them to follow Him and His leading wherever that takes them.  I want my boys to grow up to fear God.  For the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.  I want my boys to become Godly men who calls evil by its name and stands up for what’s right.  I want my boys to become hard workers who realize that all they do is for God’s glory.  I want my boys to grow up and marry godly women who love the Lord.  I want them to know that it is their job as men to be the provider for their family.  I want my boys to lead their families physically and most importantly spiritually.  I want them to raise children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.  When my boys grow up I want them to be as the godly man in Psalm 1, for this man is blessed.  This is my desire for my boys.

As Christians, we can all say that our standards should not be set based on the world but upon God and His Word.  Parents, we need to have Biblical standards for our children.  Our children should grow up to be loving, peaceful, kind, tenderhearted, forgiving, pure and holy. This is true for all of us.  So to answer that question, what did I want to be when I grew up?  Well son, I’m still growing!