Why do I get so frustrated?

Why is it that as mother's who want to create a peaceful, loving environment for our children, do we seem to be the one's bringing discontentment and strife. We are the one's that are to correct our children when they behave that way, not deal harshly with them and make matters worse by our reactions as we discipline. I have come to realize that it is (get ready, this is a hard pill to swallow) because we are selfish. " What!" you think. "How can I be selfish when all I do is work, teach and clean around here. I'm frustrated because I'm not appreciated and my children don't help by arguing all the time." We have become selfish because we consider everything to be ours. We get upset with our children when they interrupt our rest because "this is MY time." We get upset when something that belongs to us is broken or messed up because it's My Stuff. We get upset when they use things without asking, when they don't do what we say, when they are in our space, etc. We have forgotten that we are living on borrowed time and everything we have is borrowed for a time.

Here are some examples of what I'm talking about...(taken from Making Brothers and Sisters Best Friends)

Everything belongs to the Lord (Ps. 24:1)

Anything we have, including our own bodies, belongs to God. (I Cor. 6:20)

We are only stewards of the things God has given us. (Mt. 25:20-21)

It is God's responsibility to protect His own property. (Rom. 12:19)

We have no rights at all. (Gal. 2:20)

Rather than standing up for our wants, we must die to ourselves. (Jn 12:24-25)

When we remember that each day is a gift and that everything belongs to God then we will be less likely to get upset when things don't go the way we want. We can be compassionate to our children when they are upset about something at night (that seems petty to us) instead of mad that we have to keep repeating ourselves and having our time or rest interrupted. We don't get upset in the morning when we are awaken early because one of our little ones wakes up earlier than we would like. We don't get upset when something of ours is broken or spills happen, or toilets are played in (that never happens in my house *wink,wink*), or school work is not being completed in a timely manner. Our homes can be peaceful and it can be ushered in by us, the mother's who are striving for this in the first place. And we don't have to beat ourselves up when we mess up and fuss at our children when we meant to handle things with more patience and compassion than we did. We just ask our children to forgive us and try harder next time. And in the process we are teaching our children to do the same.

So, be encouraged. You're not alone. Recognize what is really upsetting you and then realize it's not yours anyway, then you will be less likely to get upset, and there will be more peace in your home.