Much love and Many Prayers,
Momma L
I say this to my kids. "you need to obey Mommy, please... the first time I say it. I should not have to say something several times." And I mean that, if I ask them to do something I do expect for them to listen to me, to do as I ask of them.
Philippians 2:14
"Do everything without grumbling or arguing."
"Do everything without grumbling or arguing."
I also keep in mind a few other things:
- For absolute certain they are not always going to do things on the first time that they are asked, but it is their attitude and heart about it that I desire.
- For absolute certain they are not always going to do things on the first time that they are asked, but it is their attitude and heart about it that I desire.
- I expect them to seek forgiveness and to have a heart that yearns to do what is right.
- Basically I expect the best of my children because I know that they can do their best. I know that God created them to be THEIR BEST. So why would I slack and let them be anything less than what He created them to be.
Now to us "grown ups"....
We TOO have to OBEY. Many times adults think that just because they are adults now they no longer have to obey anyone. THEY are the ones in charge. This is, in many cases true. Children must obey them, and heck even other adults must obey at various jobs. But we also must remember that we ALL have someone that we need to seek and listen to. So often in the craziness of life that is forgotten. We are so busy, being adults that we forget, don't think about it, or maybe don't think that it is really "that big of deal," to ask God what He thinks about issues concerning our lives. But considering that He created our lives, He wrote our story, He already know each chapter, every letter on each delicate page of our lives and how they are going to unfold, I am gonna take a guess here and say that yes, yes He cares. Yes friends, He the One who created you wants you to take up business with Him. Ask Him about things in your life, ask him what is best for you, what path should you go down. Then WAIT to hear back. Are you always going to like the answers that you hear? Probably not. But let's think back to when our parents set out rules. I for certain know that I didn't always like the stuff that they told me, but I know that in general the stuff that they said was for my safety. God is much the same. He wants us to choose to seek Him to not try to do everything on our own. Not because He is a harsh and unloving God, but because He already has a plan for our life and would it not be better to just jump with both feet into that pool than timidly dip a toe in?
Maybe you are sitting there right now thinking, I agree with this... but clearly God gave us a body with all of the correct organs to be able to produce logical thought and think for our self so with that we should be able to make logical decisions and not make irrational ones based one the system "well God said so." I see the validity in this point. I have seen many instances where I myself have wondered, "wow. that seems crazy!" or maybe you have stumbled onto this blog and are now thinking "Oh another one of those crazy Christians and their bandwagon adopting!" I can see the validity in that too. Many of the people who think these things come from within the church or are other Christians. Most statements are well meaning, I have absolutely no doubt about that, but sting a bit at first non the less. So here is my take brains that we were so blessed with... Yes we have them. I know insightful isn't it. Yes we were given brains, that is great isn't it. But our brains are dying more and more every single day. You know what can grow more every day, your relationship with God. Why would I trust in something that is dying when I know that I can trust in a living God.
Now here is the next question I am sure many of you get, and quite honestly one I have asked myself. How do you know you heard God right? Well, some people- probably those way older and wiser than me- probably pick up on things super quick. I for example took about two years of praying and one year of I don't even know how to describe it praying and a whole bunch of stuff before I got it that yes we were supposed to go ahead and turn in our FC paperwork. After that, things have begun to get a little easier. We are praying and in the word on a consistent basis, and have a peace about how our life is. I will do a whole other post on that later, but I will say it feel good to just know that God is in control of things.
Now here we are, we have obeyed again. One week ago, we received a call for a 13yr old. We prayed hard about it. VERY VERY hard. I can imagine everyone's reaction. Mine was the same, but hubby said this to me, " I just feel God saying what if this were my son. " At this point he didn't know his name and I just started laughing, God has a way of speaking to us, grabbing our attention with humor. So I told him that he shares the same name as God's son. "funny God... Real funny." we continued to pray that night and the next day about it. And well, have been very happy thus far.
I like seeing what obeying looks like. I like how my children are getting to view what is like to watch their Mommy and Daddy obey what God wants. I LOVE that that language is a part of their everyday life. That we pray before we make a big decision. That if a kiddo is going to be coming in we are praying about it, and they know that. They know that God hears them when they pray. I just love that.
Obedience does not come naturally. It is a choice. You either choose to do it, or you choose not to do it. I believe that even as an adult when we choose not to obey God, we will have a consequence. He is a loving and just God. But when you have asked Him about something and received and answer, then do what you want anyways, that is just defiance. I choose to be both feet in for God. Always.
