The Listening Servant

Elkanah and Hannah wanted a child desperately, but could not conceive. They prayed and begged God to bless them with a child promising that, once the child was weaned, he would be taken to the Temple and given back to God as a gift. God honored their prayer and their first son, Samuel was born. As promised, when he was very small, he was surrendered to Eli, the Priest, to be his student and servant in the house of God and, according to 1 Samuel 2:21, “the boy Samuel grew up in the presence of the Lord.”

Nine or ten years later, Samuel is awakened several times in the night by a voice calling out his name. Assuming it was Eli, he ran to his side to see what he needed, only to be sent away because it was not Eli’s voice. At first, neither Eli nor Samuel recognized the voice of the Lord. Eli had pushed God aside because he didn’t like God’s demands. He closed his eyes to sin rather than to stand with God and stand against sin.

Samuel did not recognize the voice of God because, according to 1 Samuel 3:7, he “did not yet know the Lord.” How can a child grow up in the presence of God and yet not know Him or recognize his voice?

From the story of Samuel we learn that knowing the laws of God and obeying them, based on ritual rather than relationship will not draw our children to Him. Acts of kindness and service, even in the church will not create unity with God. We can see that, in the case of Samuel, a child’s eyes are fixed on the one who is raising them and that is the primary shaping factor in the spiritual life of a child. If you want to do a better job of introducing your child to God, this is what your child needs…

…parents who love Jesus enough to turn their back on anything that leads them away from Him

…parents who make mistakes and humbly repent to God and family

…parents who value quiet time with God

…parents who fail to get their priorities right and acknowledge and correct them

…parents who read the Bible and teach it’s precepts to their children

…parents who, early on, teach their children to listen and obey

…parents who can show grace to an errant child because God has shown grace to them

…parents who are humble enough to know that they need God’s help to raise a family

…parents who have godly friends who will be a positive influence in the lives of their kids

…parents who see that they are called to a mission that is bigger than themselves

…parents who have found joy in following God – both in the valleys and on the mountain tops

You can buy your kids a Bible, take them to church most every Sunday and visit every VBS that is offered within a 15 mile radius of your home. You can purchase every Veggie Tale movie ever made and say a prayer before meals and at bedtime. Yet, it is possible that your children will grow up, like Samuel, not recognizing God if you have not shown them what it looks like to listen and obey Him. Is it time to tune your ear to what God wants to do in your home? Say with Samuel, “Speak, for your servant is listening” (1 Samuel 3:10), then follow through with what He is asking you to do! 

It Takes A Village

A universal discovery for all who have parented is that the old adage, “it takes a village to raise a child,” is a wise statement. Even those of us who fight to be the primary influence on our kid’s lives come to the point where we realize that this task is bigger than us and we need advice, strength, support…something… to help us be the very best parents for our children.

Based on the assumption that it really does take a village to raise a child, who is your village? Maybe you would say their teachers. We all have that one teacher that stands out in our mind who made all the difference. They believed in us. They didn’t let us be a slacker, but expected the best from us. They saw who we could be and pushed us to get there.

Many have chosen a church by the children’s programs that are offered because they see the value of having others to teach Biblical principles to our kids. Maybe because they don’t know much about Scripture or maybe because they do know that Scripture teaches us to gather in worship with other believers.

There is another, often overlooked part of our ‘village.’ It is our friends… not the friends of the children (that we often try to dictate or control), but the friends of the parents. Who are the adults that you consider your friends? Who are the people who are your confidants? Who do you go to with your difficult questions and challenges? Is it people that will point you toward God? Is it people who will show pity, sympathy and never say the hard things that we need to hear?

Here is the truth… if you are not in a place where you value friendships that will promote wise and godly counsel in your life, there is an excellent chance that your kids won’t look for those types of relationships in theirs. In fact, here is an exercise for you. Think about your “go to” person when life throws you a curve ball. Is it a godly person that will pray with you? Think about the person you would choose to hang with on the weekend to have a good time. Is that person one who values their relationship with God above all else? Is your best friend your best friend because they make you a better person or because they are cool with just letting you remain as you are, because… let’s face it… nobody’s perfect.

Fasten your seat belt because I am going out on a limb here with a very bold statement… if your choices for close friends are not godly people, then you are choosing an ungodly village to help you raise your kids. If “good” people are good enough; if “kind” people are good enough; if “compassionate, generous, disciplined, honest, strong, fun” people are good enough for YOU, then why would your kids look for anything more in their friends?

You are choosing the village where your kids will grow. Have you chosen a village that points them toward Jesus and heaven? Good, kind, compassionate, generous, disciplined, honest, strong, fun …are all great qualities, but none of those qualities will get you to heaven. If you believe the Bible is TRUE (and I do) then you know there is only ONE WAY to spend eternity with God. Jesus. He didn’t die to bridge the chasm between you and your Creator in hopes that you would take a detour to good, kind, compassionate, generous, disciplined, honest, strong, fun and call it good enough. If you want your children to find and cross the Bridge that will bring them to God, then choose a godly village in which to raise them. 

Those who have studied and researched claim that every teen should have at least 5 strong Christians speaking into their lives at all times. Don't depend on the church to supply those people. If your village is important to you, you will seek out those people who are growing in their faith and find ways to connect with them. We need each other. We need accountability. We need friends who will hold up a mirror in front of us and show us who we are. Finding and connecting with those people will transform your life and your village. Don't be afraid to ask people you value to be part of your village. It is likely they are looking for the same kind of village to raise their children.

NOTE:  Don’t forget that Jesus told us to leave our village and go make disciples. It is good and wise parenting to be “in the world” so that our kids see the value in being world changers, but it is deadly to make the world your village by being “of the world” and allowing the values of the world to rule your village.... but that is a blog for another day.

Jesus said to his disciples:

“Things that cause people to sin are bound to come, but woe to that person through whom they come. It would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around his neck 

than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin. 

So watch yourselves. 

If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him.”

Luke 17:1-3

"What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self?"

Luke 9:25

Then Jesus said to his disciples,

 “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 

For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. 

What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? 

Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?

Matthew 16:24-26

The Invisible Sin

PRIDE is the sin that is often invisible to the naked eye. Only under scrutiny can we find and identify it so that it can be confessed and removed from our lives. It has many names and is manifested in many ways, but no matter how it is masked, it is sin and creates separation from God, who gives us life. From a Biblical perspective, pride is placing ourselves where God belongs – the very center of our lives… the control center. If you claim to be a follower of God, any time that you take control and seek to do things according to our human way of thinking, you have assumed the role of God. That is a job that is too big for any of us!

The reason we seem to be so crippled when it comes to seeing it in our own life is because in our culture, pride it is the norm. I liken it to that commercial where Uncle Si is dressed in camo sitting in a room where everything is camo and he doesn’t think that anyone can see him. The door opens, he is called out and he still is claiming, “you can’t see me.” We have learned from the society in which we live that it is right and proper to take control of our lives. Those who climb to the top by being brave enough to say (with strains of Frank Sinatra in the background), “I did it my way” are among the most admired.

If PRIDE is ruling your heart and your actions and attitudes, your kids are not seeing what it means to be a follower of God. They will see what it means to claim you are a follower and then do what YOU want rather than following. In essence, you are teaching them to disobey and to follow their own desires. They are seeing a life void of power to overcome. That is dangerous! In fact, Jesus said it would be better to have a heavy stone tied around your neck and be thrown into the sea than to mislead a child. This is IMPORTANT! I want our homes to reflect Christ, not selfish pride.

Here is a magnifying glass that may help you see the PRIDE that is camouflaged in your heart so you can recognize who is really calling the shots in your life:

• Is it more important for you to be right than to be like Christ?
• Would you rather win an argument or win the approval of God?
• Are you more likely to try to control how others do things or allow them to do things their way?
• Would you rather suffer the consequences of doing life as our culture does or walk away from the norm and follow Jesus?
• Does your day begin with a prayer for God’s will to be done in your life, or with shouts and commands?
• Would those who live with you say that you are clothed in humility and compassion and gentleness…?

It isn’t too late to put God back on the throne where he belongs! Don’t wait because His plan is waiting to unfold in your life and it is going to be amazing!

Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved,

clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

Colossians 3:12

All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because,

"God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." 

1 Peter 5:5

What Do You Cherish?

When we think of the things we cherish it is common to think of family; kids, parents, cousins, grandparents, grandchildren. We value them because of the relationship we have with them and the memories we have made together. We also cherish “things” like relics from previous generations, an heirloom, a gift or something for which we have scrimped and saved for a long time to purchase. A wedding ring makes the list because of its value, both monetary and because of the sentiment of a forever commitment.

I cherish my photographs. They mean so much to me because they chronical a good life. I love to look at them and remember growing up in a different era, being loved and cared for, raising a family, enjoying my grandkids. They bring joy to my heart each time I look through them. However, if you came to my house to take a trip down memory lane with me you wouldn’t get the picture that I cherish my pictures because most of them haven’t been properly placed in an album or scrapbook to browse… they are in a couple of cardboard boxes in my basement.

My confession is simply to make a point. It is entirely probable that most of us would say we cherish important relationships or things, but our life doesn’t back up that claim.  If you cherish your health, you would take care of it with proper nutrition and exercise.  If you cherish your spouse you wouldn’t allow anger and resentment to build its home where love should abide. If you cherish your children, you wouldn’t let activities of this life rob you of time to teach them how to find and walk with Jesus through eternity. If you cherish your relationship with Jesus, are you proving that by walking with Him even when it means you have to walk away from something or someone that is pulling you away from Him?

We would never admit that we cherish ugly things like revenge, bitterness, unhealthy habits, a bad temper, gluttony, an unforgiving spirit, lack of self-control, impatience…  However, on a day to day basis, that is often what is reflected in our lives.  If we don’t cherish such things, why do we allow them to take up space; to live in our hearts in the place where we have invited Jesus to live?

Take inventory; see what is on the throne ruling your thoughts and actions. Is it really your relationship with God that motivates your decisions or is it time to clean house and remove the foolishness and pride and give the throne back to God?

“I cried out to him with my mouth: his praise was on my tongue.

If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened;

but, God has surely listened and heard my voice in prayer.

Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld his love from me!”

Psalm 66:18 nlt