Hello everyone! I hope this finds you well during this time of being at home due to Covid 19. I do pray that you will remain home and safe and that you will take care with washing hands and keeping a safe distance from others. You know this is soooooo hard for me, as I need people! I need to be among my kiddos and spend time with them! I am so very grateful to God that we have been able to connect through social media.
We are having Chapel Time everyone morning on Facebook live and I absolutely love that time with families. We are also connecting in Zoom meetings daily for student ministry devotions and we have such an awesome group coming together daily, as school work allows, for us to spend time in God’s Word and reflect together on what we feel like God is saying to us. Please spread the word and ask more friends to join us!
It has been on my heart since Monday to start encouraging families and parents through this blog. While we are home and taking a break from what was our normal, I will be posting on the blog daily some encouragement for you all from Scripture focusing on three main areas.
The three main focal points will be:
- Spiritual Growth
- Marriage
- Parenting
… In that order.
I feel it is so important that we use this time while we are on “pause” to really grow in our walk with Jesus. I truly believe that God has taken away the business to let us refocus our lives on Him. Refocus on our walk with Him. Refocus our marriages with Him. Refocus our parenting with Him. GROW. If you have followed any of my posts, you know my word for this year is GROW. I know that I personally desire to grow more and more in Him, and I will be using this blog to encourage you to grow as well.
So here goes……..
1. Spiritual Growth
God’s Word says in Matthew 11:28-30 (ESV)
28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
I do not think there is a single one of us who can say that our lives had not become so heavy burdened with being so busy that we could not find rest. Be it physical rest or spiritual rest in Him, I would dare to say I am correct in that we all need to do some work in those areas.
“Throughout Israel’s history, God held out the promise of rest if His people would trust and obey him.” – constable, T. (2003). Tom Constable’s Expository Notes on the Bible (Mt 11:28). Galaxie Software.
Trust and Obey
“Trust and Obey. For there’s no other way. To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.”
Sound familiar?
As we see in Constable’s quote above, or in the song lyrics, trust and obedience are required to have this kind of peace and ease of burden as referenced in the Matthew reference above. Same for Israelites and same for us.
The yoke was a form of discipline for farmers and their livestock. The yoke was a way to keep the livestock disciplined and in line. How can we apply that to our lives today?
Trust In HIM
Be encouraged in that Jesus wants you to follow Him and cling to Him during this time of uncertainty as well as in our daily life. Even without a virus that is causing such times as these. Give Him your burdens and He will give you rest. Do not be fearful, but turn to Him for rest. Trust Him. Be obedient to His Word and trust His ways. Stay in line with His yoke. Enjoy a peace that only He can give you. Do we worry? Of course, we are broken humans and we do worry, but please, I encourage you to try and worry less and trust Him more. Reflect on His yoke and how walking along with Him can release those burdens and squash that fear and give you a peace that ONLY Jesus can give you.
“For the joy of the Lord is your strength.”
2. Marriage
Many of you have heard me say recently that our priorities have gotten all out of order. God has been put on the back burner and children have become more important than spouse. I encourage you to use this time of being home together to display a love for your spouse that you and your children will grow from. Use this time to show your spouse a little more attention than you have been able to over the last year or so. Enjoy your spouse and let your children see just how important your marriage is and how God is working between the two of you. Your children need to see this design of marriage from you.
Genesis 2:21-23
21 So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. 22 And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made 1 into a woman and brought her to the man.
23 Then the man said,
“This at last is r bone of my bones
and flesh of my flesh;
she shall be called Woman,
because she was s taken out of Man.” 2
One with God. Are you living your marriage as you are one with God? Is this what your children see lived out in your marriage daily? Y’all, marriage is supposed to be good!!! Life together is supposed to be good! Sex is supposed to be good! Companionship with your spouse is supposed to be good! It was all designed by God for His glory and your good!
Please invest in your marriage. I get it, some days you are exhausted and it is too much to pour into your marriage. Or someone is calling you to help them. Or this one needs that or the dog is in trouble. I get it! However, I do encourage you to use this time of “pause” to invest in your marriage. This is a great chance God has given us to spend time together, so make the best of it to Grow In Him!!!
3. Parenting
Well, I just covered part of our jobs for parenting under marriage. Our babies need to see us enjoy our marriages and put our spouse first. Our kids need to see us in His Word every single day. Lead by example. Parenting is one of the greatest leadership roles you could ever be blessed to enjoy.
Proverbs 31:28 says:
28 Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her:
Moms, let’s live in a way that our people praise and appreciate us. I know that the house gets loud with everyone home. I know that your demands have been increased significantly. I understand, however, let’s refocus on what God has given us. The blessing of being Moms. Let’s refocus on what the scripture says about us being appreciated and loved and praised by our husbands. So how can we do this while we are at home? Like not pulling our hair out and loving the sweet blessings that are locked in at home with us! Haha! Yes, I get it! However, this is a special time for you and your children. Go outside. Enjoy your free time with them. Read a book together. Color together. Read the Bible together. Have a dance party! Let them help you cook. Show them the qualities and virtues of a God-loving, gracious and caring mom. Not that you do not always, I am not saying that at all, but in this moment of “pause” treasure the down time to just soak in your kiddos and love them in a big way. Laugh with them. You have some free time to do that now. Enjoy it!
Ephesians 6:4 says:
4 Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, ubut bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
Dads, this is for you. God has blessed you with the primary responsibility of being the head of the house and training up your children.
Studies indicate that the factor that causes rage in teenagers more than any other is having to face life without adequate direction from their parents. Instead fathers should provide for the physical and spiritual needs of their children (cf. 5:29). “Discipline” or “training” refers to directing and correcting the child (cf. 2 Tim. 3:16; Heb. 12:8). “Instruction” denotes correction by word of mouth including advice and encouragement (cf. 1 Cor. 10:11; Titus 3:10). Fathers are to do all this with the Lord at the center of the relationship and training. Constable, T. (2003). Tom Constable’s Expository Notes on the Bible (Eph 6:4). Galaxie Software.
I could not have worded that better myself. Kids need dads to show them the way. To discipline and instruct. I know that many dads are working during this time but maybe you have reduced hours. I also realize that some dads are deployed or cannot be home right now because they are in the medical field. I pray for your safe return and that these thoughts will be helpful to you. Your example in being away from home is also teaching them many valuable lessons. Please do not feel like your impact while working away is not important, because it is, no doubt.
It is a blessing to be able to raise children, however, it is not easy in this world. It was not easy for those before us either. Same challenges, they just looked different. Good news is, the Bible is still the same. God’s instruction on how to raise them is still the same. Please spend time learning what He has commanded us to do in raising our children and stay true to it. You are not in it alone……. He is with you every step. He promised and He is faithful to His promises.
So there is my encouragement for you all today. I assure you the ones in the future will not be this long. See, this one was building up all week! Ha!! Love to you all and I pray you will stay home as advised so that we can soon get back to being with each other! I have a lot of hugging and talking to catch up on! Meanwhile, enjoy your time at home and enjoy your family. Be at peace and know that God will make a way for us all. He always does.
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