I like lists and questions that help me apply God's word to my everyday life. Here are some great questions that Elisabeth Elliot shares in her book, "Glad Surrender."
The disciple who means to compel every one of his thoughts to surrender in obedience to Christ would do well to test himself by asking:
1) Whose glory do I seek?
2) Is this for or against the knowledge of God?
3) Am I giving mind to wholesome precepts?
4) Am I morbidly keen on mere verbal questions and quibbles?
5) Is it more important for me to understand than to obey?
6) Is it more important for me to know than to believe?
7) Will one side of the question inconvenience me?
8) Do I reject a particular truth because it will inconvenience me?
Friday, November 30, 2007
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Blessings--a trial?
My thoughts today have been prompted by the blogspot over at Girltalk.
Sometimes, when things are going pretty well...and we haven't experienced any "major" crisis--it's tempting to think that God isn't testing us. I guess sometimes we can tend to equate prosperity and blessings with "easy" and "success". But you know, the older I get the more I realize that when things seem to be going well...bills are paid with money left at the end of the month, kids are healthy--school going well, and so forth...that actually blessings can be a sort of test. Those easy times test our character and our faith--will I continue to turn to God when I am not "forced" to? Will I continue to seek answers in His word even when I sense clear directions and I know we are in His will? When things are going well, I think as Americans in particular we tend to lose sight of God.
Here is a quote from Spurgeon that I thought was good:
"But another testing moment is prosperity. Oh! there have been some of God's people, who have been more tried by prosperity than by adversity. Of the two trials, the trial of adversity is less severe to the spiritual man than that of prosperity. It is a terrible thing to be prosperous. You had need to pray to God, not only to help you in your troubles, but to help you in your blessings. Mr. Whitfield once [requested prayer] for a young man who had-- stop, you will think it was for a young man who had lost his father or his property. No! 'The prayers of the congregation are desired for a young man who has become heir to an immense fortune, and who feels he has need of much grace to keep him humble in the midst of riches.' That is the kind of prayer that ought to be put up; for prosperity is a hard thing to bear."
Easy times are a hard time to bear as well...it's during that time we can let our guard down and forget to seek God as our helper...it's during that time our flesh can easily rise up in us in the form of pride. Then the "hard" stuff hits, and we lack the knowledge and faith to endure.
Perhaps you find yourself shaken during most tests...it could be because you let your guard down during the "easy" times. So, seek God all the time...never let your guard down. It's always a battle going on. Consider the "easy" times as breaks from the war. But expect the "hard" times most. Be blessed in the "easy" times, but don't expect your life to be "easy" all the time...that will come in heaven!
Sometimes, when things are going pretty well...and we haven't experienced any "major" crisis--it's tempting to think that God isn't testing us. I guess sometimes we can tend to equate prosperity and blessings with "easy" and "success". But you know, the older I get the more I realize that when things seem to be going well...bills are paid with money left at the end of the month, kids are healthy--school going well, and so forth...that actually blessings can be a sort of test. Those easy times test our character and our faith--will I continue to turn to God when I am not "forced" to? Will I continue to seek answers in His word even when I sense clear directions and I know we are in His will? When things are going well, I think as Americans in particular we tend to lose sight of God.
Here is a quote from Spurgeon that I thought was good:
"But another testing moment is prosperity. Oh! there have been some of God's people, who have been more tried by prosperity than by adversity. Of the two trials, the trial of adversity is less severe to the spiritual man than that of prosperity. It is a terrible thing to be prosperous. You had need to pray to God, not only to help you in your troubles, but to help you in your blessings. Mr. Whitfield once [requested prayer] for a young man who had-- stop, you will think it was for a young man who had lost his father or his property. No! 'The prayers of the congregation are desired for a young man who has become heir to an immense fortune, and who feels he has need of much grace to keep him humble in the midst of riches.' That is the kind of prayer that ought to be put up; for prosperity is a hard thing to bear."
Easy times are a hard time to bear as well...it's during that time we can let our guard down and forget to seek God as our helper...it's during that time our flesh can easily rise up in us in the form of pride. Then the "hard" stuff hits, and we lack the knowledge and faith to endure.
Perhaps you find yourself shaken during most tests...it could be because you let your guard down during the "easy" times. So, seek God all the time...never let your guard down. It's always a battle going on. Consider the "easy" times as breaks from the war. But expect the "hard" times most. Be blessed in the "easy" times, but don't expect your life to be "easy" all the time...that will come in heaven!
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Using Thanksgiving as a Measuring Rod?
Recently my son and I have been looking at how giving thanks effects our daily lives. One particular passage has snagged our attention.
I Timothy 4:1-5:
1The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. 2Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. 3They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth. 4For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, 5because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer.
As we have been pondering this passage and discussing we have seen how God intended for us to enjoy life. God intended for us to enjoy food. Clothes. And many other things. We don't make our selves more spiritual by abstaining from the things God intended for us to enjoy. Everything God created was intended for us to enjoy so that we would turn back and praise Him for it. That glorifies Him.
But the question came up--how much is too much. We are warned about gluttony. We warned not to love money. We are commanded to not make idols from our material good. So how can we know that we have gone over board with too much food? Or too much emphasis on clothes, video games, TV?
My son asked, how do I know what video games I can play? I asked him, "can you genuinely thank God for it?" He said, "sometimes, if the game has strong language in it I can't. How can I thank God for sin?" We carried this over to food. "Can I genuinely thank God for what I am about to eat?" If I can't than perhaps it would be sin for me to eat it. If I can't thank God for something, then it would be sin to partake of it.
So, we have learned a new aspect of thanksgiving in our home--thanksgiving as a measuring rod for whether or not we can partake of a video game or not or TV show. If we can't say "thank you Lord for this game or this movie." Then perhaps it wouldn't be right to partake of it. I liked how my son put it, "how can I say thanks for the opportunity to view sin?" So, I have been doing this alot lately myself. Asking, "can I truly thank God for this movie?" "Can I thank God for this book?" "Can I thank God for these purchases at the store?" "Can I thank God for this food?"
Try it...see what happens. Ask this question about everything you do today. It just seems to give some real direction and perspective. And I find myself thanking God more in the process.
I think he is on to something here.
Di
I Timothy 4:1-5:
1The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. 2Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. 3They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth. 4For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, 5because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer.
As we have been pondering this passage and discussing we have seen how God intended for us to enjoy life. God intended for us to enjoy food. Clothes. And many other things. We don't make our selves more spiritual by abstaining from the things God intended for us to enjoy. Everything God created was intended for us to enjoy so that we would turn back and praise Him for it. That glorifies Him.
But the question came up--how much is too much. We are warned about gluttony. We warned not to love money. We are commanded to not make idols from our material good. So how can we know that we have gone over board with too much food? Or too much emphasis on clothes, video games, TV?
My son asked, how do I know what video games I can play? I asked him, "can you genuinely thank God for it?" He said, "sometimes, if the game has strong language in it I can't. How can I thank God for sin?" We carried this over to food. "Can I genuinely thank God for what I am about to eat?" If I can't than perhaps it would be sin for me to eat it. If I can't thank God for something, then it would be sin to partake of it.
So, we have learned a new aspect of thanksgiving in our home--thanksgiving as a measuring rod for whether or not we can partake of a video game or not or TV show. If we can't say "thank you Lord for this game or this movie." Then perhaps it wouldn't be right to partake of it. I liked how my son put it, "how can I say thanks for the opportunity to view sin?" So, I have been doing this alot lately myself. Asking, "can I truly thank God for this movie?" "Can I thank God for this book?" "Can I thank God for these purchases at the store?" "Can I thank God for this food?"
Try it...see what happens. Ask this question about everything you do today. It just seems to give some real direction and perspective. And I find myself thanking God more in the process.
I think he is on to something here.
Di
Monday, November 12, 2007
No more mommy bear
When Paul and I were just beginning our family we sat down and talked about our goals. What do we want our family to be like? What is our top goals. The number one of course was that our family would glorify God through serving and honoring Him in our words, attitudes, thoughts, and actions. But a second goal kept surfacing as important. That was to raise our children to be godly adults dependent on God, not us. We based this goal on :
1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 (New International Version)
11Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, 12so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.
I like goals...they give me clear directions. They tend to unscramble or untangle situations. One thing this particular has done for me has helped me to put aside my "mommy" tendencies or feelings and let my kids hurt. As my kids get older their situations get bigger and it is hard to let them "feel" it. I like to soften the blow. Another thing us moms are known for is taking up offense for our kids. When someone hurts them we want to be right there next to them fighting for their rights...but as I consider this I am wondering if this is really a right and best repsonse? It's something I am thinking over some lately. Our world teaches us that we should make sure we stick up for our kids...not that we shouldn't ever...there may be times for this, but I wonder if this is a form of "coddling". Perhaps I need to instead of sticking up for them, I need to teach them to suck it up. To learn to "take it". I guess if my goal was to raise my kids to always be my babies then I would run and rescue them and coddle them and make sure they know I am sticking up for them (this is okay--but not the first goal.) My first goal has got to be raising them to be mature, responsible, godly and dependent adults on God--not me. I need to always be putting them back to God, I need to always be pointing them back to what the Bible teaches our responses should be toward those who would offend us. If I run to their side and say to them, "o! You poor thing...those bad people! Well, it's okay, mommy loves you." Hmmmm...well, that would be okay I guess if they were never going to grow up and move away. I could always come running to their side to make them feel better. But that's not reality. My kids will grow up and they will get hurt out there and people will mistreat them...so what am I doing to prepare them for this? what is most important for them right now, for them to feel mommy loves them and hates those bad people who hurt them, mommy will always be on your side? Or do I teach them, our repsonse toward people like that is to be gentle, loving, patient, kind, not returning evil for evil, insult for insult. I need to give them the BIBLICAL tools (not worldly), to handle life's pressures and insults.
Just something I am pondering as I see time passing by quickly. I don't want to raise wimps! I want to raise godly giants. Totally dependent on God, not mommy.
I have to put aside my initial feelings to "protect" or to the mother bear...I just have to. Those feelings are more about me, not my kids. I hear moms, myself included using that as a reason to defend their child...but in reality, that could just be a cover for selfish mommy feelings.
So, yeah, I am thinking about this because my kids go through hard stuff sometimes. Sometimes the hard stuff they go through is because of their poor sinful choices and I have to put my mommy feelings aside and let them have the consequences to their actions. No matter how tough.
This why I am glad I have a husband. I can guarantee that most times my husband is right about the course of action to take in the discipline--painful. I need to just step aside and submit to his leadership in this. He is able to separate what is best from his feelings much better than I do. I need to be willing to acknowledge that God has equipped our husbands to be tough...and we mommy's need to submit God's design in this.
I tell you what, It's hard sometimes. I don't like to see my kids have painful consequences. Not fun at all.
1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 (New International Version)
11Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, 12so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.
I like goals...they give me clear directions. They tend to unscramble or untangle situations. One thing this particular has done for me has helped me to put aside my "mommy" tendencies or feelings and let my kids hurt. As my kids get older their situations get bigger and it is hard to let them "feel" it. I like to soften the blow. Another thing us moms are known for is taking up offense for our kids. When someone hurts them we want to be right there next to them fighting for their rights...but as I consider this I am wondering if this is really a right and best repsonse? It's something I am thinking over some lately. Our world teaches us that we should make sure we stick up for our kids...not that we shouldn't ever...there may be times for this, but I wonder if this is a form of "coddling". Perhaps I need to instead of sticking up for them, I need to teach them to suck it up. To learn to "take it". I guess if my goal was to raise my kids to always be my babies then I would run and rescue them and coddle them and make sure they know I am sticking up for them (this is okay--but not the first goal.) My first goal has got to be raising them to be mature, responsible, godly and dependent adults on God--not me. I need to always be putting them back to God, I need to always be pointing them back to what the Bible teaches our responses should be toward those who would offend us. If I run to their side and say to them, "o! You poor thing...those bad people! Well, it's okay, mommy loves you." Hmmmm...well, that would be okay I guess if they were never going to grow up and move away. I could always come running to their side to make them feel better. But that's not reality. My kids will grow up and they will get hurt out there and people will mistreat them...so what am I doing to prepare them for this? what is most important for them right now, for them to feel mommy loves them and hates those bad people who hurt them, mommy will always be on your side? Or do I teach them, our repsonse toward people like that is to be gentle, loving, patient, kind, not returning evil for evil, insult for insult. I need to give them the BIBLICAL tools (not worldly), to handle life's pressures and insults.
Just something I am pondering as I see time passing by quickly. I don't want to raise wimps! I want to raise godly giants. Totally dependent on God, not mommy.
I have to put aside my initial feelings to "protect" or to the mother bear...I just have to. Those feelings are more about me, not my kids. I hear moms, myself included using that as a reason to defend their child...but in reality, that could just be a cover for selfish mommy feelings.
So, yeah, I am thinking about this because my kids go through hard stuff sometimes. Sometimes the hard stuff they go through is because of their poor sinful choices and I have to put my mommy feelings aside and let them have the consequences to their actions. No matter how tough.
This why I am glad I have a husband. I can guarantee that most times my husband is right about the course of action to take in the discipline--painful. I need to just step aside and submit to his leadership in this. He is able to separate what is best from his feelings much better than I do. I need to be willing to acknowledge that God has equipped our husbands to be tough...and we mommy's need to submit God's design in this.
I tell you what, It's hard sometimes. I don't like to see my kids have painful consequences. Not fun at all.
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