Happily Ever After
S - Scripture: Romans 12:1-21
Read Romans 12. How do these verses encourage you where you are at today? Find a significant verse and choose one to memorize.
O - Observations:
As a mom and a wife I can read these verses to definitely apply to my daily life.
"Therefore I urge you, [mothers] ... present your bodies as a living and holy sacrifice ..." Our jobs as mothers often requires sacrifice, sacrifice of sleep, sacrifice of time, sacrifice of belongings. This sacrifice Paul says is the way we worship God. He goes on to say that we are not to be "conformed to this world" which means to me that we aren't to be moms like the rest of the world, but we are do parent according to the perfect and acceptable will (or WORD) of God. As we read through Scripture and learn His ways we will be better parents as we put that into practice, but it starts with feeding or renewing our minds.
Mothers, do not think more highly of yourself. We talked about this the other day when we learned that sometimes we have to take a step back and let someone else be there for our children, be it our spouse or someone else we trust.
This passage also reminds me that just as a church body as many members with different functions, so too my family has many members with different functions and gifts and talents. We are all individuals and bring something special to the proverbial plate. I am a teacher and enjoy studying and sharing with others what I learn. My husband falls into the category of "serving" as this Greek word is associated with the preparation and presentation of food. My older daughter, Alexis, is a great helper, but she is also an exhorter and often times will bring me comforting words when I am down. It's a little early for me to see where the baby falls in this passage, but I can rest assured that she has a special place in this body of our family. She's a go getter, not much holds her back, that is for sure!
Paul goes on to say to the church words which I can also apply to our family and that is to "be devoted to one another in love ... preferring one another". How important is that in a family? Devotion and to let each other be preferred over the other in their needs and wants. When the kids are playing and they each want the same toy but one or both prefer the other they will demonstrate sharing and kindness. As a mom or a wife I can prefer my children's or husband's needs or wants over my own. The world would say "hog-wash!", "look out for #1", but we know that in preferring each other we can serve the LORD, have hope and persevere.
Paul goes on to further to say that we are to be devoted in prayer. First this says to me that this kind of selfless living is going to require much prayer and secondly our families will be built and survive only through a life devoted to prayer. I am only where I am at because of previous generations that paved the road for me through prayer!
Most of us have read and quoted vs. 15 in this passage to rejoice and weep with those who do and how true that is especially in our immediate families. When are children are crying because they can't find their favorite stuffed animal, while we may not actually cry like they are we can "weep" with them by realizing it is important to them and we can help them find it even if it is in the middle of the night and it's dark in their room ;) Of course, I type by experience. The problem was I wasn't "weeping" with my daughter, I was "instructing" and reacting out of tiredness and demanding she stop her crying as so not to wake up her sister ... LORD, give us compassionate hearts that feel what those closest to us are feeling so we can sympathize and empathize with our family members.
Verse 16 says to "associate with the lowly". I'm sure Paul meant something far different, but I see this as a good reminder to me to associate with, to be a companion to, those "low to the ground", i.e., my children. Of course Paul was talking about being humble here and that fits too. It can be a humbling experience to sit on the floor with your 1 and 4 year old and pretend and play in their make believe worlds. But while you or I may have 100 other things we would prefer to do or even feel we need to do, when we prefer our children and take the time to get into their little, even lowly, worlds and get outside of our own "wisdom" we will earn points with these little ones that can last through the difficult teenage years. They will remember that you thought enough of them to spend time with them.
Finally Paul tells us in reference to our enemy's, and hopefully we don't see our family members as enemys, but nonetheless Paul gives us some practical advice, to feed the hungry, and give drink to the thirsty and to always overcome evil with good. If nothing else this is something we can teach our children. First, meet their basic needs and teach them to do so for each other and those they come in contact with and secondly show them that good always wins out over evil. It's the thing that not only makes up the ending to every fairytale "and they lived happily ever after", but it's Godly truth ... one day God, the only truly Good One, will triumph once and for all over evil and we will live that proverbial "happily ever after" ...
A - Application for me today:
1) Remember to live a life of sacrifice within my family structure as a way of demonstrating a life of worship to my Heavenly Father not as the world lives, but according to His WORD.
2) To be more humble, to ask God to give me more humility.
3) To look for and appreciate the differences in my family members instead of trying to make them conform to my standards. God has given each of us uniqueness and I want to appreciate that uniqueness and know it serves a purpose in God's Kingdom.
4) To prefer others and put them first.
5) To devote myself in prayer especially for the needs of my family.
6) To rejoice with and play with my children and to "weep" with them when they are hurting asking God to give me understanding. If it's important enough for them to cry over it is important to them. I need more empathy and sympathy towards my children. Granted there is a time when they are just crying because they are tired or hungry and as kids perhaps they don't associate that, but as a mom I need wisdom to know the difference and either way I need to meet that need whether they need a snack or a hug or sometimes both!
7) To get down on their level and be humble enough to play with them.
8) Finally to meet my family's basic needs and to always remember in God's Kingdom there is a time coming when we will all live "happily ever after" ...
P - Prayer in response:
Father God, My perfect parental role model, I come before you knowing that I mess it up sometimes (a lot of times!) and ask you to help me remember that my job is significant and eternally important. Help me to bring you glory as I work, teach, play, change diapers and make sandwiches each day (give food and drink to my loved ones). Bless and protect our family as we grow to honor you. You are the One I work for and it is You who gives me significance!
In the Mighty Saving Name of Yehoshua (Jesus my LORD),
I pray, Amen & Amen.
Whatever you do in word or deed, {do} all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father. Colossians 3:17
As mom's we can lose sight of the important role we have been given by God. When people ask us what we do we often reply "I stay home with my kids" ... while the world may not see the importance of that know that it is an important role, being a mom, whether you are working inside your home or outside of the home. Having done both in my brief time as a mother I can see the benefits of both. But as a SAHM now for a little over a year I can see how easy it is to lose sight of the important role we play. Take a little time to think over your job description and the important things God has called you to do, not so that you can get a "big head" over it, but so that you can "in all your ways acknowledge Him" so that "He can direct your paths" ...
Too often my days fly by with not much seeming to get accomplished, well things that seem to matter anyhow. Make your days count by seeking Him first and seeing how He might want you to schedule your day. Take these verses we read today and see how you might apply them to where you are at and how you might be able to work them into your daily schedule.
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