Singing in the Rain

What happens in your mind when everything in life feels like it is crushing in on you and there is no Calgon available to whisk you away to where life is stress free, flowers are blooming, birds are singing and a cool breeze blows across your smiling face? I'm guessing your first thought isn't about how much you are loved by God. More than likely it's more like wondering why He has abandoned you in your time of need. Unfortunately, these thoughts are the default setting for many of us and they lead us down a short path to self-pity which is not even in the same hemisphere with reality.

Like King David reflects, in Psalm 13, we can easily find ourselves feeling rejected in the tough times. However, if you read to the end of his lament you find him zeroing in on the reality of God's undying love for him. Because David learned to live his life on a foundation of what is true, he was able to sing praise to God. The truth that sustained him was that God's love is enough ... no matter my circumstances.

At the risk of dating myself, it makes me think of a Gene Kelly song...

"I'm singing in the rain
Just singing in the rain
What a glorious feelin'
I'm happy again
I'm laughing at clouds
So dark up above
The sun's (Son's) in my heart
And I'm ready for love..."

It is a glorious feeling to be able to sing in the rain. Do you have any idea how much your ability to sing God's praise impacts the atmosphere in your home; how much influence your reaction to adversity has on your children? But being able to sing in the rain isn't just an ability to have a positive outlook. It is a foundational belief that God is good and that His plan for me is right, and I can trust Him and sing His praise even when life makes no sense at all.

Imagine the atmosphere your kids can grow up in, listening as you play songs of praise, singing along with a thankful heart even when life is hard. Imagine the trust they could develop in an unseen God because they hear you praising Him in the storm. Imagine them knowing that the storms in life are not something to fear but something to cherish because they draw us closer to the One who is shaping our hearts.

Tune your stereo to a station that plays music by Christian artists and learn the songs. They will come to you when you need them. Buy CDs for your kids that teach them songs they can sing to praise God for who He is. Music is a powerful tool that connects our heart to God. Use it!

"I will trust in your unfailing love.
I will rejoice because You have rescued me.
I will sing to the Lord because He is good to me."

Living Generously

05202015 Bringing it home

Recently a young man told me, “Money is my new life. Without it I cannot have a car to get me to a job so that I can live. From now on I will keep everything I earn so I will never be in this situation again.” Another young mother lamented the fact that she had to leave her children with a sitter that recently invited her abusive boyfriend to live with her. She couldn’t afford a better sitter and she couldn’t afford to quit her job or take time off to look for a better situation. In our culture it is easy to learn that money is the source of happiness and the most desirable acquisition possible. As adults, we know that we need money to survive in our society. However, how is that translating to your children? Are they getting the impression that earning money is important thing in life? Is acquiring “things” what will bring happiness?

In his book, Unlacing The Heart, Henry Freeman tells about leaving his position as V.P. of Earlham College to spend 12 months in an orphanage in war-torn El Salvador simply to love on the children there. Out of that experience he states, “Perhaps the most important thing I have learned is that happiness is found when our search for it is abandoned. Indeed, for most of us, happiness sits on the other side of our walls waiting patiently for us to open our doors to the joy and pain of the world around us.”   Good American parents tend to make our children the center of our lives. We provide them with all they need and top it off with all we wanted as kids but didn’t receive and throw in some excess just because we ‘love’ them and want to show it.  The result of our ample provision for them seems to be an epidemic of entitlement and a much longer wish list. How will they learn what is on the other side of “our walls” if all they care about is self?

Dad and Mom, it is your responsibility to open the windows to the world for your children. If they become more outwardly focused and less self-centered it will be because YOU showed them how to give to others; sometimes out of your wealth and sometimes out of your need. Don’t take lightly Jesus last words to his followers to “Go into all the world…”  When you open the eyes of your children to the needs of children around the world they can learn to be givers, not takers.

I know how fun it is to get gifts for your children… I am a grandma! That makes it even more fun! But take a look at their bedroom? How many days a week is it difficult to find a path through because of all the toys and clothes and shoes they possess? Do they really NEED all of that? Why are we making that the norm? It is a very difficult habit to feed and our consumption ends up consuming us.

Did you know that:

for the price of 2 kids meals a month you can feed a child for the entire month https://www.fmsc.org/

for the price of an average legos set you can sponsor a child for a month http://www.compassion.com/sponsor_a_child/

for about the cost of downloading Minecraft on your device you can purchase 10 chicks that will grow to provide daily protein for a starving family http://horizoninternationalinc.com/give-hope/gift-catalog/animal-husbandry.html

It seems quite a natural thing to compare ourselves to others. Why not open their eyes to the disparity between what they have and what the majority of children in other countries have? That is a comparison that just may grow them into compassionate givers who will change our world. Our kids will make the difference. What difference are we coaching them to make? Watch this video and see the difference one child who looked outside of himself is making in the world.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acK2aQp5-zM

“People who want to get rich are tempted. They fall into a trap. They are tripped up by wanting many foolish and harmful things. Those who live like that are dragged down by what they do. They are destroyed and die. Love for money causes all kinds of evil. Some people want to get rich. They have wandered away from the faith. They have wounded themselves with many sorrows…Command people who are rich in this world not to be proud. Tell them not to put their hope in riches. Wealth is so uncertain. Command those who are rich to put their hope in God. He richly provides us with everything to enjoy. Command the rich to do what is good. Tell them to be rich in doing good things. They must give freely. They must be willing to share. In that way they will put riches away for themselves. It will provide a firm basis for the next life. Then they will take hold of the life that really is life.”

1 Timothy 6:9-10, 17-19

Combat the Bully

There is a big bully out there and he is after the hearts of your children. He will not stop trying to manipulate their thoughts, coax them towards danger and leave them disoriented and feeling abandoned. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to safeguard them against such bullying. You can’t keep them in a bubble because he will penetrate that bubble. You can’t defeat him alone, because he is a powerful adversary. Your task is to enlighten them to his methods and tactics and to strengthen them against his attacks.

The first step is to teach them who they are, that they were made in the image of God to reflect His greatness, that they have a divinely appointed purpose and help is available to get them to accomplish that purpose. When we know to whom we belong, we can stand up and say, “Stop! I am walking with the King of Kings and I am surrounded by His army of angels who will protect me from your lies and deceit!”  Teach them Ephesians 2:10 so that from a very early age they know that they are truly God’s “masterpiece, created in Christ Jesus to do great things that he prepared for us long ago.” It’s true! When God made them He aligned their gifts and passions with the plan that was already in place. If the Bully can convince them that they have no purpose, then God’s plan will not be fulfilled in them. Tell them often that you are glad for the special qualities that God has given them. Let them know that you are anxious for them to follow God so that you can discover together what God has planned for them.

Next, as in all areas of parenting, remain consistent with the message. They can’t believe that they are a masterpiece one day and a hopeless failure the next. It is right to address and correct the bad behaviors, but in a way that steers them back onto the path of right living. Determine the non-negotiables and stick to it. Parenting is a wearying job, but don’t give up or back down when it comes to shaping the heart of your child. Watch closely what they use to fill the God shaped void inside of them. Use language in your home that directs them to God as the answer to everything they are facing. Sound weird? Well, it won’t get easier if you wait so dive right in to the Word and see what Scripture has to say about willfulness, disobedience, arrogance, selfishness and all the other things that the Bully tries to coax them into establishing as the “norm” in their little hearts. Share this information with them. You have the Manual and it is neglectful to let them flounder when you have access to the answers in that big Book. Surround yourself with others who have been students of the Bible for longer and glean wisdom from them. 

Finally, pray for your children throughout the day. Also, pray that God will give you the wisdom to see the stealthy attacks of Satan, the chief bully. Pray for strength to stand against him and for more Christlikeness in yourself so the kids have a great role model to follow.  Know that there really are unseen powers fighting on behalf of your family so don’t fall into despair at the enormity of the task. God is faithful and will be walking with you on this journey.

Maybe you have been convinced that you are less than enough or that you can never be a spiritual guide for your children because you are a hot mess yourself. That is the Bully talking. You, too, are a masterpiece and God has a plan for you. Growing with your children is a great thing. Read Bible stories to them and learn with them. Read the Bible daily. Make prayer and meditation something that is natural by practicing it regularly. Don’t settle for being better than “so-and-so” but be who God created you to be. Nothing less will do!

“I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father,

may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation,

so that you may know him better.

I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened

 in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you,

the riches of his glorious inheritance…

and his incomparably great power for us who believe.”

Ephesians 1:17-19

Cement Shoes

Entering into a relationship with guilt weighing you down is like trying to survive a shipwreck while wearing cement shoes. Marriages frequently fail when there is unconfessed sin weighing down one or both partners. Then when kids enter the picture, disaster looms as parents attempt to control everything so that their kids never miss the mark like they did. Though I believe it is important for parents to have control of many things in the lives of their children, when the focus is on control rather than on the child it becomes apparent that they are leading in fear, rather than faith.

Often times in scripture people are compared to sheep and God is the Good Shepherd. In Psalm 23 David speaks of the shepherds rod and staff bringing comfort. Why? Because they were used, not just for discipline, but to guide and direct the sheep toward what was good and pull them away from danger. Keep a keen eye on where your children are and where they are headed. Continually direct them toward what is healthy, godly and right. If you want them to follow after God then you must be continually pointing them to Him.

Parenting is truly a full time job and you must be ready at all times to respond quickly to the behaviors that indicate a rebellious and unkind spirit is developing in them. React in love and respond with direction and explanation that is age appropriate. Just saying “NO!” or “Stop!” falls short of teaching them the reason we choose well is because God is our Leader and His Word teaches us His ways.

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In the process of watching the wrong doing of your child drive a wedge in their relationships, take a look at your own heart and allow God’s Spirit to shine a light into the wrong of your past and reveal to you what needs to be confessed so that your relationships can find healing. We all have things in our lives that we are ashamed of. We all fall short of where we know God wants us to be, but true repentance goes a long way in healing our relationship …. Not just with God, but with others because it no longer weighs us down. Seek God’s forgiveness and accept it. Satan will be your accuser, making you feel like you are worthless. But the fact is, you are worth so much to God that He was willing to pay the ultimate price for your forgiveness.

Take off those cement shoes and see life and love and relationships in a whole new way! Learn a lesson from King David…

“Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight!

Yes, what joy for those whose record the Lord has cleared of guilt,

whose lives are lived in complete honesty!

When I refused to confess my sin, my body wasted away, and I groaned all day long…

Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt. I said to myself,

‘I will confess my rebellion to the Lord.’

And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone!”

From Psalm 32

Know God - Know Joy

David knew God. He knew God’s love for him. He knew God’s strength and protection. He knew God’s majesty. He knew God’s silence. He knew God’s rewards. He knew God’s peace. He knew God’s retribution.

All through the Psalms we hear David’s conversations with God … when he is in awe of God’s majesty and when he can’t feel God’s presence; when God brings victory and when the enemy is winning; when there is great sorrow and loss and when the blessings abound; when there is shame and fear of losing the One who has been his hiding place and when there is an unconditional love that engulfs him.

It seems that in all things David encountered, he was always able to circle around to the source of his joy. Knowing God. He knew God in an intimate manner that caused him to connect with Him on all occasions. It strengthened the bond that he did not ever want to lose.

How did David get to know God like that, you might ask. Well, once there was this lion that threatened his life and the life of his sheep and God was there. Then there was this giant that needed to be slain... and God was there. Then a King that David loved and served faithfully put out a contract on his life... and God was there.  And there was a heinous sin in his life ... and still God was there. Looking at the life of David I think it is safe to say that we get to know God a whole lot better when life is rough than when it is smooth sailing.

How is your joy level? Being a mom gives you many opportunities for joy… but what about when the milk is dripping off the table for the third time today, the baby has another ear infection, Tigger is bouncing in and out of the toilet, your checking account is in the red and you are exhausted from trying to keep all the plates spinning and you can’t even remember the last time you had quality time with your husband?

Don’t let the events of the day rob you of your joy. Instead use those lions and giants and crazy kings that threaten to bring you down as an opportunity for you to watch God do what only He can do. Joy for David didn’t disappear when his life was in jeopardy because he had learned from a very young age that God was his Provider. In the midst of the storm that can sucked every ounce of happiness out of your world, God is your Provider. No matter what is going on in your life. He is there and is able to bring comfort and peace if you will let go of your need for control and realize that He’s got this. It’s too big for you anyway. 

"The Lord is my strength and my shield;

my heart trusts in him and he helps me.

My heart leaps for joy,

and with my song I will praise him."

Psalm 28:7

Questions

Recently I taught a class of fourth and fifth grade students who delighted my heart – not because they were studious, compliant and attentive, but because they voiced their doubts and questions. “Everything is created so who created God?” “How can God have no beginning and no ending?” With every question I could respond, “Great question! I have wondered about that, too!”

I love watching their minds begin to process the mysteries that will never be solved this side of heaven. They were each making their list of questions to ask when they get to heaven. To me, that was a beautiful experience because I was able to explain that there are so many things we will not be able to understand because we are human and think like humans. God is far above us and we are not able to think as He thinks or understand His ways. It is in these precious times that faith is born. Hopefully these are just the beginning of questions that they will ponder in life.

Parents, never discourage questions because by asking the questions, their minds are working and they are ready to learn about the faith that will ultimately shove aside the questions and say, “even if I don’t understand the things of God, I am beginning to know God and that relationship is what assures me that I don’t have to understand Him, I just have to follow Him.” As you nurture a healthy faith in your children, make sure that you allow them to ask questions. Being ready to respond to these questions in a healthy manner requires only a few things:

1.      Make God’s Word your source of Truth. It is the foundation upon which a follower of God builds their life and the things that do not align with it will not be tolerated as an acceptable alternative.

2.      Make your relationship with God your classroom. We all learn out of relationship more than we do out of text books.  As you grow closer to God, watching Him work, learning of His love, it will help your heart to accept His ways in a manner that your mind cannot comprehend.

3.      Ask your own questions. Be in relationship with godly people who are seeking Truth and “as iron sharpens iron” help each other to grow and learn and walk more  closely with the Creator, growing as you learn and as you accept the things that are beyond your comprehension.

4.      Tell them your faith story. They are too young to have developed the connection with God that you have had the opportunity to grow in your life. They will love hearing about how you once felt (even if it was yesterday) and how walking with God changed your mind and your heart.

May God bless you immeasurably as you walk the path of God’s choosing with your children’s eyes upon you.

Open your ears to what I am saying,

 for I will speak to you in a parable. I will teach you hidden lessons from our past --

stories we have heard and know, stories our ancestors handed down to us.

 We will not hide these truths from our children but will tell the next generation about the glorious deeds of the LORD. We will tell of his power and the mighty miracles he did… 

 so the next generation might know them -- even the children not yet born –

that they in turn might teach their children.

So each generation can set its hope anew on God,

 Remembering his glorious miracles and obeying his commands.

Psalm 78:1-4, 6-7

New Beginnings

At our house there is no corner where you can look to find perfection. Not because we humbly hide it, but because it doesn’t exist. We do have some good times, some victories, some reasons to feel that we are moving in the right direction, but it seems like more often than not we are seeing our failures and being reminded that we are definitely a work in progress and there is a great need for improvement.

I try not to be discouraged with this failure in my life, but to acknowledge my shortcomings and make every attempt to allow the old to pass away and invite the new to come. Today the clouds have parted and the sun is shining. Trees are budding and birds are singing and the reminder of fresh beginnings gives me hope for my own life.

As I attempt to write this blog today I am surrounded by the squeals of delight from all the little cousins who are so happy to be together over spring break. There are frequent interventions needed because we are learning to share and to be kind. An occasional “time-out” to adjust an attitude and take a break is essential to keeping the peace. These times help me to remember what the Father deals with as He helps me to grow in Him. Time out to adjust my attitude and quiet time to be reminded that I am His child, learning to be kind and share.

As you watch the trees budding and the flowers breaking through the ground, be reminded that your kids are also a work in process and the flaws you see in them are not unlike the ones your Heavenly Father is witnessing in you. Guide them gently and lovingly, just as God is guiding you. Be patient and remember they are His finest creation, blooming beautifully as you nurture them. The story of spring… the story of Easter is about new beginnings…transformation. Be careful not to expect to see  transformation in your children if your Father is not seeing it in you! Set the pace; be their example!

“Obey God because you are his children. Don't slip back into your old ways of doing evil; you didn't know any better then. But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God -- who chose you to be his children -- is holy. For he himself has said, "You must be holy because I am holy." And remember that the heavenly Father to whom you pray has no favorites when he judges. He will judge or reward you according to what you do. So you must live in reverent fear of him during your time as foreigners here on earth. For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And the ransom he paid was not mere gold or silver.  He paid for you with the precious lifeblood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God.  God chose him for this purpose long before the world began, but now in these final days, he was sent to the earth for all to see. And he did this for you.”                    I Peter 1:14-20 (NLT) 

Holy Week at Home

This is Holy Week, commemorating the last week that Jesus walk on this earth as a man before His cruel and undeserved death on the cross. How will you spend it in your home? I am guessing that we will all do our share in the purchasing of the estimated 120 million pounds of candy and then there will be the new clothes and gifts and all that total a whopping 16+ billion that statistics predict.

And we wonder why this nation is wandering for God. We blame the media or the government or the Jones’ with whom we must compete. But who is actually putting those things in your cart? Who is it that talks up the Easter bunny and stands in line forever for a picture with that over-sized ball of fur? I am not judging. I have been there. I just spent the morning cutting out Easter bunny cookies for the grandkids. It isn’t such a problem to live in this culture. The problem arises when the culture lives in you and begins to dictate your actions, your spending habits, and the way you share truth with your kids.

Make sure that this week doesn’t pass without time spent in reflection about the sacrifice Jesus made so that we could be with him forever. Make sure that they know that you love them and would die for them if it would save them…. But it won’t. It is only the death and resurrection of Jesus that guarantees us the promised of the abundant life He promises. The only man without sin actually took on all the sin of humankind so that we don’t have to carry that burden of sin and separation from God. We can have victory in this life because of what happened that first Easter.

Reflect and enjoy the week with Jesus life and death in every dinner conversation. Let them ask hard questions and do you best to answer and it really is okay to tell them that it is sometimes hard for you to understand, too. Learning and grasping God’s gift is a life-long lesson. Learn it with them!

“He included everyone in his death so that everyone could also be included in his life, a resurrection life, a far better life than people ever lived on their own. Because of this decision we don't evaluate people by what they have or how they look. We looked at the Messiah that way once and got it all wrong, as you know. We certainly don't look at him that way anymore. Now we look inside, and what we see is that anyone united with the Messiah gets a fresh start, is created new. The old life is gone; a new life burgeons! Look at it!

 All this comes from the God who settled the relationship between us and him, and then called us to settle our relationships with each other. God put the world square with himself through the Messiah, giving the world a fresh start by offering forgiveness of sins. God has given us the task of telling everyone what he is doing. We're Christ's representatives. God uses us to persuade men and women to drop their differences and enter into God's work of making things right between them. We're speaking for Christ himself now: Become friends with God; he's already a friend with you. How? you say. In Christ. God put the wrong on him who never did anything wrong, so we could be put right with God.”                                

2 Corinthians 5:15-21

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