Recently, Kansas City Chief’s kicker Harrison Butker fired up the Internet because of “controversial” and upsetting comments he made at a commencement speech at Benedictine, a Catholic liberal arts college in Atchison, Kansas.  The uproar on social media might cause one to think, “Did he use profane and immoral gestures to the crowd?” “Did he tell these young women to go out into the world and hook up with the first person they meet on the street?” “Did he tell them to party “like it’s 1999″ before the world ends?” “Did he encourage these young people to live at home with their parents and bomb for the rest of their lives?” He did not do any of those things. He shared what he assumed young women with a Christian worldview might look forward to; The joys and rewards of being a wife and mother. You can read what he said at: https://www.kansascity.com/sports/nfl/kansas-city-chiefs/article288615947.html#storylink=cpy.

I did not know what all the fuss was about until our pastor shared Harrison Butker’s comments during last Sunday’s sermon. I was astounded that those words caused such an uprising on social media. I have two daughters, and they have always talked about getting married and being a mom. Our youngest daughter is 23 years old. I remember when she became a teenager, she was always wondering which of her homeschool friends she would end up marrying. If she were graduating with others of her peers, with like-minded upbrings in homeschooling, something similar may have been encouraged. Mr. Butker was speaking to people of like-minded values. God warns us in Genesis 4:7, that sin is knocking at the door and that it desires to overtake us. We can see this clearly in today’s culture. Psalm 127 teaches us that children are a gift from God. Young people whose parents have raised them in the training and admonition of the Lord, as Ephesians 6:4 teaches, would welcome these types of comments.

God desires that men and women grow up and leave their parents, build their own families, and leave their legacies. I have cherished the role of being a mom. I have come to understand with confidence that children truly are a gift from God. Our role as parents is to mold and shape our children’s character so that once they reach adulthood, they will not only be a gift to us but to everyone within their circles of influence. When God gives us a gift we must care and cultivate that gift so that we can present it back to Him, and bless Him, as He has blessed us. It is tragic when God gives us children on loan to mold and shape and these precious gifts of life end up worn and broken. I wrote two books to help couples understand their role as parents and how their role can either prepare their children to serve God or hinder God’s ability to use them. I am so thankful that we have such an amazing Father, Savior, and helper, that even if, by our weaknesses as parents, we fall short in raising our children as God would have us, He can still make something beautiful out of their lives.

For the Christian parent, God has given us His life manual to lead us in how to do everything He has created us to do in this life. The Bible has everything we need for life and godliness. We must apply it to our lives and to the children He has given us to raise. Proverbs also teach us that he who finds a wife finds a good thing, and finds favor with the Lord.  When women learn the role God has given to them as wives, they will nourish and bless their husbands, children, church, neighbors, communities, and everyone in their sphere of influence. I was not prepared to be such a wife, but God, through His Word was an amazing teacher. In my book, “We’re Getting Married Forever”, I shared how God transformed my marriage, as I applied the word of God to my relationship with my husband. Harrison Butker’s comments should not have caused a wildfire within the culture. Why is it insulting to think of being a loving mother and wife? Is it because these are the times that the Bible warned us about that men would be lovers of themselves rather than lovers of God? Think about it.