So this past weekend I took a little time for myself to read an actual BOOK. And it didn't feature a singing cucumber or a little red caboose. It was glorious. I really need to make a point to read more. Anyway, the book was The Homeschool Experiment, a novel my sister loaned me. Even though it's fictional, it has a Christ-centered focus and a lot of great resources.
The book is told through the point of view of Julianne, a stay-at-home mom who has been called to homeschool. Throughout the book, Julianne struggles with self-doubt, as well as veiled (and not so veiled) criticisms from some family members about her ability to teach her children. But in the end she learns that she only needs to please God, not others. One verse that is repeated a lot in the book is Galatians 1:10: "For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ."
I read this verse again today, and it really struck me. As moms, we really try to do it ALL. Face it, we invented the WORD "multi-task." We need a clean, sparkling house adorned with DIY projects from Pinterest. Our children must be well-behaved and brilliant at all times. And some of you moms have to do all this while also holding down a job outside the home. We fear there's a stigma involved if we don't try to be SuperMom. And this attitude simply isn't from God.
Check out the last part of that verse: "If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ." I looked up the word "bondservant" in the concordance of my Bible to see what exactly is involved with being a bondservant of Christ (Paul called himself one, so I'm thinking it's a good thing to be). :o)
"The Lord's bondservant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God might grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will." 2 Timothy 2:24-26
Those are all really good qualities. Especially for moms. Being kind, patient, and "able to teach" are all qualities of the mom I want to be. But I can't be those things, and everything else involved with being a bondservant of Christ, if I'm doing what I'm doing for the wrong reasons. Even if I'm kind while disciplining my son, if I'm doing it to please those watching me then I'm not a bondservant of Christ. I'm a slave to their expectations instead of to Him and His will.
God has also showed me that being a bondservant of Christ is a powerful thing; not just for me, but for my son as well. Caleb loves church, worship music, and praying cute toddler prayers that consist of "Thank You Jesus, Amen!" But I long for the day he accepts this Jesus he keeps hearing about into his heart and truly lives for him. According to 2 Timothy, being a bondservant for Christ can help others "come to their senses" (verse 26). My son is still young, not quite three years old. But when I gently correct him when he misbehaves, I may very well be helping him come to his senses. I want to be an example of that "knowledge of the truth," and help lead him to repentance so he may also become a bondservant of Christ. And this cannot happen if my focus is pleasing men (or other moms) instead of God.
I want to be able to look
back and know that I did all I could to please the Lord, and in turn
helped lead my son to Him. Because when I'm not acting like a
bondservant of Christ, I really do end up being quarrelsome, unkind,
impatient, and not so gentle. If I hand over each day to God, He can
give me the strength and mercy to be all those things that Paul
describes, even when I encounter food spills, temper
tantrums, and burnt dinners.
So I need to learn to wait on the dirty dishes and read with my son instead. To hold off on mopping the floor so we can go exploring outside. To get off Facebook and let him sit in my lap, because all too soon he'll be too old for cuddling. To trade off what I think (and what I THINK others think) should be done for what God calls me to do.
And thinking about all this is actually freeing. I feel liberated from the unrealistic expectations I put on myself all the time. Instead of thinking "I have so much to do today," or "What would so-and-so say if they saw this mess?!" I really should be asking "Lord, what can I do to please You today?" On days when I actually do the latter, I find that all that other "stuff" still gets done, or else it just doesn't seem all that important anymore.
So I'm letting go of the whole SuperMom mentality. I'd rather be a lowly bondservant of Christ instead. :o)
Showing posts with label obedience. Show all posts
Showing posts with label obedience. Show all posts
September 17, 2012
August 16, 2010
Arrogant Axes
"Is the axe to boast itself over the one who chops with it? Is the saw to exalt itself over the one who wields it?" Isaiah 10:15
In the tenth chapter of Isaiah, God turns His anger on the Assyrians, a nation that He initially uses as His "instrument" to attack His own people because of their prideful ways. Apparently arrogance is a universal thing, no matter who you are or who you follow, because God speaks these words through Isaiah concerning the Assyrian ruler: "I will punish the fruit of the arrogant heart of the king of Assyria and the pomp of his haughtiness" (verse 12). The king gives himself credit for everything his nation has plundered and destroyed, saying, "by the power of my hand and by my wisdom I did this" (verse 13). God compares the king's blatant and unapologetic pride to an axe that "boasts itself over the one who chops with it" in verse 15. An axe, like any other inanimate object, cannot perform its purpose without a more powerful entity taking it up and manipulating it in such a way as to create a result. An axe cannot chop wood by itself. Similarly, the nation of Assyria, and more specifically its king, could not have successfully invaded and plundered Israel without God's intervention.
Granted, the hearts of the Assyrians are hardened; Isaiah even says that the nation does not "intend" to trample God's people, but does so because "it is its purpose to destroy and to cut off many nations" (verse 7). Much like it is the axe's purpose to cut wood, it is the Assyrians' purpose to destroy; they face their own destruction because of their haughtiness and godlessness. However, we as God's children can learn from this mistaken way of thinking; in fact, it is the Israelites' pride that caused the Assyrians' attack to begin with (see previous post and Isaiah 9:8-21). Exalting ourselves for the blessings God gives us is not only wrong, but harmful to our relationship with Him. We become deluded into thinking that we have everything under control and can do anything using our own power and devices. Remember the vine and the branches? Jesus said, "Apart from Me, you can do nothing" (John 15:5). God wants to use us for His purposes, and it can be very exciting to see just what we're capable of with His help and grace. But the minute we choose to take credit for what He's done or to exalt ourselves using the gifts He gives us, we become no better than the Assyrians. Our hearts will become hard and we will bring about our own destruction.
Ask God for His help; come before Him as His child who is helpless without Him. Bring Him your empty hands to be filled with His gifts, and ask Him what He would have you do for His kingdom. And most important, exalt the One who allows you to represent Him in such wonderful and astounding ways. Remember, we are but axes who need powerful hands to fulfill a great purpose; apart from Him we can do nothing.
In the tenth chapter of Isaiah, God turns His anger on the Assyrians, a nation that He initially uses as His "instrument" to attack His own people because of their prideful ways. Apparently arrogance is a universal thing, no matter who you are or who you follow, because God speaks these words through Isaiah concerning the Assyrian ruler: "I will punish the fruit of the arrogant heart of the king of Assyria and the pomp of his haughtiness" (verse 12). The king gives himself credit for everything his nation has plundered and destroyed, saying, "by the power of my hand and by my wisdom I did this" (verse 13). God compares the king's blatant and unapologetic pride to an axe that "boasts itself over the one who chops with it" in verse 15. An axe, like any other inanimate object, cannot perform its purpose without a more powerful entity taking it up and manipulating it in such a way as to create a result. An axe cannot chop wood by itself. Similarly, the nation of Assyria, and more specifically its king, could not have successfully invaded and plundered Israel without God's intervention.
Granted, the hearts of the Assyrians are hardened; Isaiah even says that the nation does not "intend" to trample God's people, but does so because "it is its purpose to destroy and to cut off many nations" (verse 7). Much like it is the axe's purpose to cut wood, it is the Assyrians' purpose to destroy; they face their own destruction because of their haughtiness and godlessness. However, we as God's children can learn from this mistaken way of thinking; in fact, it is the Israelites' pride that caused the Assyrians' attack to begin with (see previous post and Isaiah 9:8-21). Exalting ourselves for the blessings God gives us is not only wrong, but harmful to our relationship with Him. We become deluded into thinking that we have everything under control and can do anything using our own power and devices. Remember the vine and the branches? Jesus said, "Apart from Me, you can do nothing" (John 15:5). God wants to use us for His purposes, and it can be very exciting to see just what we're capable of with His help and grace. But the minute we choose to take credit for what He's done or to exalt ourselves using the gifts He gives us, we become no better than the Assyrians. Our hearts will become hard and we will bring about our own destruction.
Ask God for His help; come before Him as His child who is helpless without Him. Bring Him your empty hands to be filled with His gifts, and ask Him what He would have you do for His kingdom. And most important, exalt the One who allows you to represent Him in such wonderful and astounding ways. Remember, we are but axes who need powerful hands to fulfill a great purpose; apart from Him we can do nothing.
July 14, 2010
Going up to Zion...
"Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; that He may teach us concerning His ways and that we may walk in His paths..." Isaiah 2:3
Ever sit down to read your Bible and all you can think is, "Shouldn't this feel more like a desire than a duty?" I do. I'm guessing it's a common problem every child of God encounters from time to time. Hectic schedules, family problems, job hassles, and other annoyances often crowd up our day to such an extent that by the time we finally get a chance to sit down, we'd rather watch TV or read a magazine. Studying God's law and learning more about His character doesn't always make it to the top of our to-do lists. And if we do get around to it, we're often too distracted anyway.
The second chapter of Isaiah describes a time in the "last days" where all the nations will gather at the mountain of the house of the Lord. Once they encounter God on this mountain of Zion, their chief concern seems to be learning more about God's laws. They want to become more acquainted with His ways and to "walk in His paths" (verse 3). True, a day of reckoning immediately follows (or perhaps coincides with) this gathering at the mountain, so one might argue that anyone might be more motivated to learn about God's laws in the midst of His terrible judgments. But there are plenty of reasons to study God's Word regardless of what is happening. Here's three of them:
Ever sit down to read your Bible and all you can think is, "Shouldn't this feel more like a desire than a duty?" I do. I'm guessing it's a common problem every child of God encounters from time to time. Hectic schedules, family problems, job hassles, and other annoyances often crowd up our day to such an extent that by the time we finally get a chance to sit down, we'd rather watch TV or read a magazine. Studying God's law and learning more about His character doesn't always make it to the top of our to-do lists. And if we do get around to it, we're often too distracted anyway.
The second chapter of Isaiah describes a time in the "last days" where all the nations will gather at the mountain of the house of the Lord. Once they encounter God on this mountain of Zion, their chief concern seems to be learning more about God's laws. They want to become more acquainted with His ways and to "walk in His paths" (verse 3). True, a day of reckoning immediately follows (or perhaps coincides with) this gathering at the mountain, so one might argue that anyone might be more motivated to learn about God's laws in the midst of His terrible judgments. But there are plenty of reasons to study God's Word regardless of what is happening. Here's three of them:
- Learning and obeying God's law brings peace. I don't think it's a coincidence that the next verse in Isaiah describes the aftermath of not only God carrying out His judgment, but also of His people learning about His perfect law: they hammer their weapons into tools and "never again learn war" (verse 4). Knowing who we are in Him is the most peaceful place we can be. It helps us lay down our weapons of distrust and self-pity and to reshape them into tools that can be utilized in His kingdom.
- Learning and obeying God's law brings love to others. In fact, under the new covenant set in place by Jesus' death and resurrection, God's law IS all about love! Paul wrote to the Romans that "he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law" (13:8), and in James we learn that if we are obeying God's command to love others, we are "doing well" (2:8). And Jesus told His disciples that people would know that they are His followers if they had love for one another (John 13:35).
- Learning and obeying God's law helps us to work out our salvation (Philippians 2:12). While we are saved by His grace, His law is just as important if we are to know how to carry that salvation out in our daily lives. That's why the people were concerned not only about learning God's law, but also about walking in His paths. God wants us to continually seek Him and to do His will every day of our lives; knowing His laws is pivotal to doing this. That way we know if we're on the right path!
July 9, 2010
Whatever Happened to Elihu?
So I finally finished Job today. It ended the way I remembered, of course, with Job confessing that God is sovereign and Job's friends having to make a sacrifice due to their false words to Job concerning God and His will. But one thing I wonder, what happened to Elihu?
Elihu kind of sneaks into the picture at Chapter 32. Before this, Job and his friends are debating whether or not a righteous and obedient life deserves calamity. Job especially focuses on his past, remembering how good he had it and how righteous he was, and bemoans his present state, telling God to give him an answer pertaining to why He allowed these bad things to happen ("Let the Almighty answer me!" Job 31:35). The beginning of Chapter 32 tells us that Elihu, up until now, has hesitated from joining the discussion because he is younger than everyone else. This act of respect is probably the only thing holding Elihu back from asserting himself before now, since by the time he does join in "his anger burned" (verse 5) because of what his elders were saying about God.
In short, Elihu's speech goes on for several chapters. He rebukes Job and his friends for basically putting God in a box as if His ways could be predicted or controlled ("Who gave Him authority over the earth? And who has laid on Him the whole world?" 34:13). Elihu defends God's justice and sovereignty, saying "His eyes are upon the ways of a man, and He sees all his steps" (34:21). And he also breaks that proverbial box his elders tried to use to contain God by describing His awesome wonders and majesty ("God thunders with His voice wondrously, doing great things which we cannot comprehend" 37:5; "Stand and consider the wonders of God" 37:14).
After this, God answers Job (in a whirlwind, no less!), and for the next four chapters Job is humbled in the wake of His words that describe His power and might. Elihu isn't mentioned again, and seems to disappear as mysteriously as he appeared earlier. He wasn't rebuked along with his elders, but he didn't receive any reward for his words either (at least none that is recorded). So what happened to him?
You know what God told me? Elihu was taken care of. It doesn't matter that he wasn't praised for his tenacity and faith to stand up for God in the presence of those older and wiser than he. He knew who he was as God's child, did what was asked of him, and then moved on. Often God asks us to do things for His kingdom that probably won't result in any kind of recognition. Sure, we've helped others by acting on what He tells us to do and have become stronger in our faith for doing so, but there are no parades for anonymous donations, leading our children to Christ, or even helping a disabled person cross the street. Acting on His will without regard for accolades keeps us humble and focused on the One who rewards us in Heaven (Matthew 6:1).
So what can we learn from Elihu?
Elihu kind of sneaks into the picture at Chapter 32. Before this, Job and his friends are debating whether or not a righteous and obedient life deserves calamity. Job especially focuses on his past, remembering how good he had it and how righteous he was, and bemoans his present state, telling God to give him an answer pertaining to why He allowed these bad things to happen ("Let the Almighty answer me!" Job 31:35). The beginning of Chapter 32 tells us that Elihu, up until now, has hesitated from joining the discussion because he is younger than everyone else. This act of respect is probably the only thing holding Elihu back from asserting himself before now, since by the time he does join in "his anger burned" (verse 5) because of what his elders were saying about God.
In short, Elihu's speech goes on for several chapters. He rebukes Job and his friends for basically putting God in a box as if His ways could be predicted or controlled ("Who gave Him authority over the earth? And who has laid on Him the whole world?" 34:13). Elihu defends God's justice and sovereignty, saying "His eyes are upon the ways of a man, and He sees all his steps" (34:21). And he also breaks that proverbial box his elders tried to use to contain God by describing His awesome wonders and majesty ("God thunders with His voice wondrously, doing great things which we cannot comprehend" 37:5; "Stand and consider the wonders of God" 37:14).
After this, God answers Job (in a whirlwind, no less!), and for the next four chapters Job is humbled in the wake of His words that describe His power and might. Elihu isn't mentioned again, and seems to disappear as mysteriously as he appeared earlier. He wasn't rebuked along with his elders, but he didn't receive any reward for his words either (at least none that is recorded). So what happened to him?
You know what God told me? Elihu was taken care of. It doesn't matter that he wasn't praised for his tenacity and faith to stand up for God in the presence of those older and wiser than he. He knew who he was as God's child, did what was asked of him, and then moved on. Often God asks us to do things for His kingdom that probably won't result in any kind of recognition. Sure, we've helped others by acting on what He tells us to do and have become stronger in our faith for doing so, but there are no parades for anonymous donations, leading our children to Christ, or even helping a disabled person cross the street. Acting on His will without regard for accolades keeps us humble and focused on the One who rewards us in Heaven (Matthew 6:1).
So what can we learn from Elihu?
- Respect your elders. He understood his lowly position and waited to act out of respect for those in a position of authority.
- Recognize righteous indignation and act carefully in it. His "anger burned" against the words being spoken, but he did not act out his anger and was careful to only say the words that would further his cause.
- Remember 1 Timothy 4:12: "Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity, show yourself an example to those who believe." This can even apply to being young in your faith, and not just your age. Even if you just accepted Christ and you're 80 years old, you're young in your relationship with Him, but you still have something to offer to more mature believers if you allow God to direct you.
- Rest in God's love and sovereignty. Basically, Elihu practiced what he preached. He told the others that God's will did not depend on our obedience or works. In doing so, he did what God asked of him without thinking he was entitled to anything for doing so.
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