Children and Chores

Daily Reading: Proverbs 31:10-31

     Yesterday I wasn’t feeling well.  I asked the boys to do their chores and then they could do what they wanted for the rest of the evening.  Besides not feeling well I was absorbed in the computer doing things that could have waited.  Later, as I got ready for bed I realized I had not ate that evening.  As I walked into the kitchen, food fled from my mind.  The dishes weren’t done.  The laundry wasn’t done.  Leftovers clung to the sides of the pan.

      Even after I had asked if their chores had been done they had lied.  They had done what they wanted.  How could I ever get these two teenage boys (almost men) to realize that chores are a part of life that has to be done?  The result was waiting until morning then starting a new day off chastising them, filling the boys with anger, frustration and resistance, planning what punishment would be given when they came home.  The punishments overwhelmed me as I thought; No television and video games, remove the electronics from their rooms, take away the cell phones, cancel their weekend plans, earlier bedtimes. 

 

     I prayed for a biblical passage to show the boys.  Using BibleGateway.com I searched for  chore, nothing came up.  I searched task.  17 Results, the first six results didn’t fit their crime.  The 7^th one, (Really GOD 7^th?) cried aloud. Proverbs 31:17 She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks. My favorite Proverb, Epilogue: The Wife of Noble Character.  A new thought floated in.  What was my punishment?  I too hadn’t done my chores.  I hadn’t guided and encouraged.  I hadn’t gotten up from the computer and checked their work.  I had been as bad as the boys.

     As women (and men) it is our duty to work diligently that our families may prosper.  ²⁷She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. My idleness yesterday helped our household to go awry.  My boys are not yet men and it is my responsibility and task to instruct them, over see them and their work.  It is I who needed punishment and chastising for not doing my chores. 

When the Master and Mistress slack off the rest of the household will too. Remember that we must do our chores and tasks first before we can enjoy the fruits of our labor.

Additional reading: Ecclesiastes 2:26, Romans 15:28

Looking to Man instead of GOD

Daily Reading: Deuteronomy 5:8-10

Today I was reminded of how truly fallible I am. Most of my life I jumped from relationship to relationship. I had envisioned a perfect partner for me and thought that if I found a man who had most of the qualities I could change the rest of him to be my idea of perfect for me. Every time I tried to do this I failed.

I had finally realized after many years that I could be happy to live my life without a man. I was content raising my children, going to work, and planning a life for after my children were raised. I had GOD in my life but I wasn't serving him.

Then an amazing man walked into my life. He was exactly what I was looking for; handsome, hard working, affectionate, stable, and he loved me as much as I loved him. We married and I thought everything was perfect. The problem was he didn't have Christ in his heart. Whenever a storm would come he would falter. In fact it wasn't just that he didn't have Christ in his heart, he hated GOD "If there was a GOD, I'd punch him in his face for taking my parents away."

This hatred slowly began to poison our relationship. I began to feel hatred toward the things he hated. I let his hatred seep into me.

GOD gives us wake up calls. I became sick and my mother came to aid me. She saw the emotional sickness and began visiting a church nearby my home. Her love spread to me and I realized that I was looking to my husband for support when I should have been looking to GOD.

Being married to a partner who does not share the same faith as you is very hard.  GOD wants your spouse to come to HIM in HIS time, not ours.  We can not just stand by and wait for our loved one to change.  We need to continue worshiping and praising GOD.  GOD is jealous and wants to know we put HIM above all others.  Our unsaved loved ones may be a test of GOD on us.  Will we pass the test, or will we falter and show our human fallibility, rather than allowing GOD to take control over our actions and emotions?  We must keep our eyes on GOD and allow GOD to take the reigns concerning others in our lives.

 

 

 

Holding onto the Garbage

Daily Readings: Mark 7:1-23

This morning my computer was getting low on memory and I noticed my Recycle bin had something in it.  Even before it had opened I remembered that it was an audio file my fson (foster) and his friend had recorded.  The file had been there for several weeks.  Every time I noticed it I would think "I will listen to it later before I permanently delete it."  So I stopped what I was doing today and listened to it.  As my fson knew the file was indeed just plain garbage.  A file that was taking up space in my computer. 

How much other garbage do I hold onto that I don't need?  The Pharisees were obsessed with rituals given to their Father's centuries before.  ⁹“You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions!" Those traditions had become meaningless.  Yes, it is good to wash your hands before eating.  We know today that there are germs, parasites, and all sorts of other invisible to our eye creatures that can make us sick.  The Pharisees didn't know about these things.  They only knew it was a religious "ritual" that they performed because it was a law given in the days of Moses.  They were holding on to many things, not because it was a way to worship GOD, but because they couldn't let go. 

The television show "Hoarders" is the extreme example of how people can't or won't let go of the trash in their lives.  Those people aren't bad.  They aren't garbage.  They are holding on to things simply because they can't let go. 

Jesus said “What comes out of a person is what defiles them. ²¹ For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, ²² adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. ²³ All these evils come from INSIDE and defile a person.”

What is coming out of me that defiles me?  The saying "garbage in, garbage out" comes to mind.  If I see a violent act it isn't going to make me violent.  It can allow ideas to form in my mind about violence.  The only way to get rid of the garbage in our minds is to pray and ask GOD to remove the garbage.  Ask HIM to permanently remove the things that should be in our recycle bins.  If those things aren't in the recycle bin we need to focus on putting them there.  Only GOD the super computer of all creation can recycle the garbage.  It is up to us to ask HIM to clean us out before we fill up and there isn't space for the good things.

Don't shut up, give up!

Daily Reading Acts 18:1-17

It catches my attention how lucky Paul was to be going from place to place.  Missionaries all over the world do the same thing.  They go from their native home to witness to others.  Here Paul had left Athens and came to Corinth.  Silas and Timothy had just come from Macedonia.  Their eyes were fixed on preaching and testifying to people everywhere. 

How can this fit into my life?  The Lord speaks "Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent.  For I am with you, and no one is going to attack or harm you, because I have many people in this city."  Acts 18:9 and 10. 

How wonderful to hear GOD's voice so perfectly clear!  How many times in the bible do those first four words appear?  70 TIMES! http://www.biblegateway.com/keyword/?search=Do+not+be+afraid&searchtype=phrase&version1=31&language1=en&spanbegin=1&spanend=73

GOD certainly doesn't want us to be afraid.  Even though our mouths may slip and we say something wrong HE doesn't want us to keep silent.  Instead we need to put our mouths in HIS hands.  When negative words come out of our mouths, when negative thoughts enter our minds we need to stop and pray for HIM to take our words from us and give us HIS own words.  GOD is with us everyday and in every situation.  He promises us that we aren't going to be harmed but we need to be in HIS arms.  We need to put HIM in charge of our lives. 

When we are feeling lonely and isolated we don't have far to look because GOD has "many people in this city."  Maybe you are in China or India where Christianity isn't welcome.  GOD has many people there.  Maybe you are in New York, LA, Chicago, or even Collinsville, Illinois.  GOD has many people there as well. 

Those people are there to fellowship with you.  They are there to encourage you and for you to encourage also.  Don't be afraid to witness where you are.  Let GOD take over your mouth wherever you are.  You don't have to go anywhere to be a witness for GOD.  Just give up your mouth to HIM.

Father GOD, please take my words away from me.  Put in their place the words YOU have to share with my little world.

"Trust and Obey for there's no other way, to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey." (song)

Bow Down

My husband, Tony had worked second shift last night. I had fallen asleep before he came home.  When I went to the bathroom to get ready for church this morning I saw he had left me a surprise on the bathroom sink. 

I noticed how the sunflower had his head bowed as if looking at the note.  I started thinking about all the other wild sunflowers I had seen.  So many had their heads bowing to the earth. 

Psalms 95
⁶ Come, let us bow down in worship,
let us kneel before the Lord our Maker;
⁷ for he is our God
and we are the people of his pasture,
the flock under his care.

God, The Lords Almighty, does care about us.  He helps us in our distress but we must serve Him and be a part of His flock in order to reap the benefits He has to offer us.

We simply can not lose our way

Deuteronomy 4:19
And when you look up to the sky and see the sun, the moon and the stars—all the heavenly array—do not be enticed into bowing down to them and worshiping things the LORD your God has apportioned to all the nations under heaven.

As Christians this is how we should be living our life.  We don't need to look toward the sky waiting for God.  He will come in His own time.  Rather, we should be bowing in reverence thankful to serve Him, always asking "How may I serve You more?"

Which person are you?

Daily Reading: Matthew 25:31-46


I was recently in a restaurant just off an major interstate. Just after ordering a woman and two small girls came in. They explained that a 4 year old from Missouri had been kidnapped by a stranger and they asked if they could hang the missing persons sign up at the restraunt since it was so close to the interstate. Maybe someone getting off the interstate there would have saw the missing child. The woman explained that she didn't know the child but since she was travelling up the interstate she had volunteered to stop at every major exit along the way and post the flyers. The person at the counter said yes & that they would hang up the flyer. After the lady left I kept waiting for the employees to hang up the sign so I could see what the girl looked like and see if I had recognized her as I had been coming from the opposite direction. The sign was never hung up and instead of asking about it I said a prayer and went on my way. Fortunately the child was found later unharmed and the man that had kidnapped her (a complete stranger) committed suicide in front of police.


Which person are you today? Are you the woman helping a complete stranger by doing what she can. Are you the employee who says "yes" but goes no further. Are you the lost girl who hopes someone will find her and take her home? Are you me wanting to help but decide that prayer is sufficient? Are you the man who has sinned and has condemned himself to death? Or are you the police officers that went the extra mile to find the little girl and save her?


Father GOD, please help me to go all out for you and your lost sheep. Give me strength to stand for you and help others to find their way to you. In JESUS name I pray, AMEN.


Matthew 25:40 "The KING will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'


Need More? Visit Matthew 25:14-30

Lean on ME

Daily Reading: Genesis 2:18-24

So many people in this world believe they can do everything themselves. Many people try to do it all. They go to work, keep their homes cleaned, raise children, balance their budgets, are active in their communities and children's schools, go to church and in all of this they do it on their own never asking anyone else for help. Further still we take on more duties than we can typically handle. Through idealization we believe that we are supposed to do it all on our own.

As a teenager and young woman my favorite passage in the bible was The Wife of Noble Character (Proverbs 31:10-31). I thought not only that I could do it all, I thought I was supposed to do it all. It never occured to me that if I did it all I wasn't allowing room to rely on anyone else.

God never meant for us to be alone. We are meant to have a mate and share our responsibilities with our mate. Even when we are single we are still not expected to do it all. The bible says we are to care for our widows and orphans. An orphan was considered to be anyone who did not have both parents.

Our world has changed greatly in the past 2000 years when it comes to families but the fact remains that if we need help we need to ask for it. We can not hint about our needs because no one can read our minds as much as we would like for them to. We need to find humility when we can't get past an obstacle and ask others for help.

Further still we need to rely on GOD to help us. GOD never gives us more than we can handle but he can not prevent us from agreeing to take on too much. We need to pray about everything before saying we will do each task. If we do not feel that GOD is giving us a green light we need to wait for the light to turn green. If the light doesn't turn green and we are being pushed for an answer then we have to bow out gracefully because GOD is saying NO.

Genesis 2:18 The LORD, GOD said "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him."

Need More? Visit Matthew 11:25-30