Honestly the struggle is far greater than these words I can type. My faith journey has often felt like a roller coaster. Sometimes I am waiting in a long line to get on the ride I think I want to ride. Only to find out that I don't meet the requirements for that ride. Other times I'm pressing hard to the daily grind climbing a steep incline to the top. Still other times I find myself gripped with fear as I spin upside down and out of control. But then the best times are those that I raise my hands in pure delight and enjoy the wind blowing in my face as the coaster zooms up and down. That's the ride we call our faith journey. It looks different for all of us. Yet there are some boundaries or guidelines our Father lays out for us to keep us safe along the ride. If we choose to obey then the ride is much more enjoyable along the length of the journey.
To be perfectly honest this topic of obedience hits home hard. It touches all areas of family life, personal spiritual growth and parenting. It is especially close to my heart as I am preparing to welcome another little boy into the world very soon. Parenting is just one of those areas that God gives us opportunities for growth and development. Over the last 5 months I have embarked on a new journey of Homeschooling. I haven't broadcasted the news that I am now a Homeschooling Mom due to several factors. It's just one of those personal things. Yet I feel now that some of the struggles I have been experiencing warrant being written about here. I will just say that the decision to home school was totally a God thing and a mutual agreement between my husband, myself and God. Many factors contributed to this decision. The biggest reason was that our little seven year old boy needed to be home with his mom and dad. So that is what we have done. It has been a huge blessing to all of us. It has required lots more than I thought, yet the rewards outweigh the cost. It has been a huge lesson in obedience.
I have had some time to think about my role as a mom and really take my job as one, in a different light. The privilege of raising children certainly is a gift from above. It must be taken seriously and with a great amount of prayer. I have come to this conclusion: obedience is the channel in which God's blessings flow. It's how we begin to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit. Now teaching this concept to children isn't easy. Aren't we are still children? I think this will be a struggle for the rest of my faith journey this side of glory. It's one of those I'm continually in the process of learning. Thank God for grace!
It all begins in the garden. God gave Adam and Eve everything they needed. Just like parents we provide our kids with food, clothing and shelter. We often forget one other rather important thing God provided for Adam and Eve: a boundary line. The instructions to live in the garden be fruitful, multiply and take care of it we remember. It's the part about you can have all of this place, just not this one tree. The tree was the boundary. This represents God's role as a loving parent speaking to his children, I love you so much that I have given you all of this, yet it is your choice to enjoy what I have provided and not cross this line. Children will continually test the boundary line. How far can I go with out getting in trouble. God placed a boundary line even in the garden for his two children. He also said there would be a consequence if they did cross the line. This is how we as parents deal with our kids. We demonstrate love by providing for their needs as well as setting up rules for them to follow. Another words the rules require obedience. For a child this is a hard thing. The child is asking does my mom or dad love me? Do they accept me? So they continually test the boundary line in search of love and acceptance. God does the same thing with his children. He asks us to love him with all our hearts, minds and strength. He gives us free will to choose the gift of salvation, requiring only faith to believe. Believing then leads to obedience because of the love He showed us through His Son Jesus.
"So Samuel said: "Has the LORD delight in burnt offerings and
sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, to heed than the fat of rams."
1 Samuel 15:22
It is better to obey than to sacrifice. This is pleasing to the Lord. When His children obey He is happy. I find myself repeating this often as a parent. It makes Jesus sad when we disobey. When we choose to do things our own way He is sad. Like a parent becomes disappointed in a child when he defiantly disobeys. How this must crush the Father's heart! As a mom I taste this bitterness. Yet, with grace and love we continually offer correction in the form of consequences in order to teach obedience. There is a fine line between breaking Spirit and will.
It's my job to lay out the rules and make clear lines as to the consequences when obedience is not chosen. Our heavenly father does the same thing. The words discipline, struggle, hardship, trial, and even suffering come to mind. All of these things God uses to teach us to trust Him as our loving father, not to punish us because we are bad. These tools have become a new resource to me in a different light. Consequences indeed can seem like a punishment to a child for good reason. Yet they are a tool that demonstrates love. I love my child so much that I want him to listen to my instruction and choose obedience because he wants to please me. Just like my Father above, I want to please Him too. There is only one time in the entire Bible where a command is given specifically to children. It's the only one directly giving instruction to their job as kids.
"Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right." Ephesians 6:1
The only way a child will learn to hear the voice of God is to practice by hearing and obeying the voice of his parents. This realization for myself has forced me to examine my own heart and attitude toward obeying God. It is a reminder to me to be listening for that voice of correction or that voice that says you should do that. Sometimes I just skip doing things I know I should do and other times I do things I know I shouldn't. Both are sins. I have to model this as a parent so my child can learn this lesson.
So the roller coaster keeps on climbing only to take dips and twists, loops and jerks. I hold on tight at times. Other times I am filled with adrenaline and the thrill of the ride. It certainly is not one I want to miss.
"And after the reading of the Law and the Prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent to them, saying, men and brethren, if you have any word of exhortation for the people,
say on." Acts 13:15
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