as most of you know, God has really been doing a work in my heart. i told my hubby a few weeks ago that God is stirring in me and somethings gotta change, but i just don't know what yet. that thought then took me a step further into thinking - i don't need to be looking for the BIG change - just the daily obedience to Him. i got excited wondering how that simple obedience might change my world. you must read crazy love - just a side note
so as i looked in the mirror, or had others hold a mirror up to me, i started to see the reflection of some things we like to call issues or problems. but the reality is they are SIN. that nasty word we try to never say.
my first thought was in how i treat strangers. am i truly willing to see them as Jesus does? am i truly willing to bless and give without expectations? so here is where i will choose to start...because God tells us love our neighbors like ourselves and treat others like we would treat Jesus.
and then my mom made a comment which revealed yet another huge sin and was confirmed again in something else i read. when we wake up we are given 24 hours to control. we can do what we want with them. that is MY time right? i can choose to do with it as i wish. well, i guess i can, but is that obedience? last week was a rough one with my kiddos. we had a really bad day and i called dear friend in tears who comforted and encouraged me and gently prodded me towards seeking God. my mom kept the kids for the afternoon later that week. i've been dealing with a whiny one. she mentioned that whiny one helped her make cookies and how much she (whiny one)enjoyed that. i smiled, kind of, and said "i know - i just don't ever do that" she kindly mentioned it might help the whining - that princess just wants to be with me. ummm...sure mom. how do mom's always know what to say?!?! so long story short there...how can i learn to love others when i can't spend time with my own child? maybe i need to obey God in the simple training of my child. yes, mom's that includes cooking together, crafting together, playing together, reading together - because that all leads to showing them Christ in you. got it - and guess what - i learned my attitude of my time is a SIN!!
this sunday i needed to remind parents once again to sign their kids in to the children's department. we are growing so this is getting more and more necessary. our nursery parents are supposed to take a bracelet and return the bracelet to pick up their child. i would guess 1/3 do this. we are only getting 1/3 - 1/2 signing in to the children's department. now, i get that for the regular attenders this seems silly. but you see, it is a policy and one we need to follow. i was thinking through all the excuses i get: "do you really think they won't give me back my child? the bracelet is tacky. i'm too stressed to sign them in. i don't see the point. everyone here knows who we are." and on and on they go... i started to think through each of them - i quickly realized they all had a root SIN! yes, folks a root sin. rather it be pure rebellion or pride it is a sin. and frankly, they are choosing to not obey. let me stop here a minute - i have wrestled with this in my own heart as well the past few days - so i am guilty too.
all of this led me to what we preach in church. we preach a lot of facts about the Bible. we could answer all sorts of trivia questions. currently, our pastor is preaching on who the prophets were. while i appreciate the background info and even seeing the sins those prophets brought to light, i realize we don't bring our own sins out to be exposed. what if i told the parent who doesn't sign his child in that he needs to obey? oh boy - i would get quite a look, yet aren't they the same parents who want their children to obey???? we prefer to stick to sins such as sex before marriage, drinking, stealing, etc...
on our bad day last week, i spoke with the kids about obeying your parents in the Lord and all will go well for you....now, i did tell them that this didn't mean prizes and treats, but just an overall goodness in their little worlds. mapboy let me know things weren't going so well right now - i told him he wasn't obeying.....but isn't this verse just as true for us? if we are to relate to God as our Father, then we are called to obey Him. I believe you could find that several places in scripture by the way.
for some reason, us comfortable american christians, think we are exempt from simple obedience. we don't want our sin exposed because it is messy. we like to point out the sin in our children, co-workers, other christians, etc... but why not ourselves???
take a close look at your life. hold up a mirror and write on it all the sins you commit. when you see yourself looking back with sins written all over you start to get humbled and convicted.
mapboy likes to continually monitor our speed. he lets us know when we are going 56 in a 55. my first instinct is to tell him 56 is okay, because it is right? we don't get pulled over....but you know what? that is rebellion and when i tell my 9 year old that it is okay to ignore that rule just a little bit - where does it end?
so i write this as one starting to see the sin in my life. starting to confess and trying to live in daily obedience. trying to be real about who i am and who HE is. but what about you? where are you being rebellious? i realize this may have stepped on some toes, and frankly well then God is at work in you - let Him step on your foot!
so as i looked in the mirror, or had others hold a mirror up to me, i started to see the reflection of some things we like to call issues or problems. but the reality is they are SIN. that nasty word we try to never say.
my first thought was in how i treat strangers. am i truly willing to see them as Jesus does? am i truly willing to bless and give without expectations? so here is where i will choose to start...because God tells us love our neighbors like ourselves and treat others like we would treat Jesus.
and then my mom made a comment which revealed yet another huge sin and was confirmed again in something else i read. when we wake up we are given 24 hours to control. we can do what we want with them. that is MY time right? i can choose to do with it as i wish. well, i guess i can, but is that obedience? last week was a rough one with my kiddos. we had a really bad day and i called dear friend in tears who comforted and encouraged me and gently prodded me towards seeking God. my mom kept the kids for the afternoon later that week. i've been dealing with a whiny one. she mentioned that whiny one helped her make cookies and how much she (whiny one)enjoyed that. i smiled, kind of, and said "i know - i just don't ever do that" she kindly mentioned it might help the whining - that princess just wants to be with me. ummm...sure mom. how do mom's always know what to say?!?! so long story short there...how can i learn to love others when i can't spend time with my own child? maybe i need to obey God in the simple training of my child. yes, mom's that includes cooking together, crafting together, playing together, reading together - because that all leads to showing them Christ in you. got it - and guess what - i learned my attitude of my time is a SIN!!
this sunday i needed to remind parents once again to sign their kids in to the children's department. we are growing so this is getting more and more necessary. our nursery parents are supposed to take a bracelet and return the bracelet to pick up their child. i would guess 1/3 do this. we are only getting 1/3 - 1/2 signing in to the children's department. now, i get that for the regular attenders this seems silly. but you see, it is a policy and one we need to follow. i was thinking through all the excuses i get: "do you really think they won't give me back my child? the bracelet is tacky. i'm too stressed to sign them in. i don't see the point. everyone here knows who we are." and on and on they go... i started to think through each of them - i quickly realized they all had a root SIN! yes, folks a root sin. rather it be pure rebellion or pride it is a sin. and frankly, they are choosing to not obey. let me stop here a minute - i have wrestled with this in my own heart as well the past few days - so i am guilty too.
all of this led me to what we preach in church. we preach a lot of facts about the Bible. we could answer all sorts of trivia questions. currently, our pastor is preaching on who the prophets were. while i appreciate the background info and even seeing the sins those prophets brought to light, i realize we don't bring our own sins out to be exposed. what if i told the parent who doesn't sign his child in that he needs to obey? oh boy - i would get quite a look, yet aren't they the same parents who want their children to obey???? we prefer to stick to sins such as sex before marriage, drinking, stealing, etc...
on our bad day last week, i spoke with the kids about obeying your parents in the Lord and all will go well for you....now, i did tell them that this didn't mean prizes and treats, but just an overall goodness in their little worlds. mapboy let me know things weren't going so well right now - i told him he wasn't obeying.....but isn't this verse just as true for us? if we are to relate to God as our Father, then we are called to obey Him. I believe you could find that several places in scripture by the way.
for some reason, us comfortable american christians, think we are exempt from simple obedience. we don't want our sin exposed because it is messy. we like to point out the sin in our children, co-workers, other christians, etc... but why not ourselves???
take a close look at your life. hold up a mirror and write on it all the sins you commit. when you see yourself looking back with sins written all over you start to get humbled and convicted.
mapboy likes to continually monitor our speed. he lets us know when we are going 56 in a 55. my first instinct is to tell him 56 is okay, because it is right? we don't get pulled over....but you know what? that is rebellion and when i tell my 9 year old that it is okay to ignore that rule just a little bit - where does it end?
so i write this as one starting to see the sin in my life. starting to confess and trying to live in daily obedience. trying to be real about who i am and who HE is. but what about you? where are you being rebellious? i realize this may have stepped on some toes, and frankly well then God is at work in you - let Him step on your foot!
Comments
It was so nice chatting with you tonight...there's just something about talking with another mom who deals with the same kind of quirky everyday! I hadn't checked your blog in so long, but I'm glad I did tonight. =)
Let's release each other from this pressure to perform to a certain standard, the point being we cannot measure up. Where does it end? We DO all far short of the glory of God. How would I ever know I was obedient enough? Wouldn't I have to make rules again, maybe a code like the OT law? And isn't that the old way, don't we want the new way? Can't we obey because God inspires love in us to do so? Rather than striving and striving because we want a better life.
What a gloious hope we have, what a wonderful Saviour--He can put wonderful clean clothes on us, wash us up because we really are stinky, stinky, stinky.
Don't misunderstand, when we are wrong we need to turn from our sin. But I think we need to know what our real sin is. And sometimes that sin is trying so hard to clean ourselves up.
Look at this:
http://www.soundofgrace.com/piper83/080783m.htm
I haven't studied it all, but let's
(if maybe you want to) together--maybe you can see what rings true to you and write about it (?)
Can't believe I made that mistake..it's kind of a whopper when you see it written out like this.....