Keeping their Hearts in Focus

But the Lord said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things human beings look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart."
1 Samuel 16:7

"Are you having a boy or a girl?" ~~~ "I am so thankful that the tests came back showing that our odds are in favor of not having a baby with Down Syndrome." ~~~ "What long eyelashes! He looks just as beautiful now as when he was born!" ~~~ "Watch out. That little boy is going to be a heart-breaker."

These are just a few comments I've heard from various people in the last month. None of these comments are sinful, but they do reflect a very common focus we place upon appearance. Our society doesn't wait until our kids are teens or even tweens to start subtly infecting them (and us as parents) with the lie that appearance is everything. In fact, the focus on appearance creeps up even among believers. Even godly men like the prophet Samuel needed a reminder.


Do we as Christian parents ever get caught up placing more emphasis on our children's appearance than their heart formation?


With today's technology, parents can see images of their babies while still in utero! These photos are priceless treasures, proudly displayed at the office, on the internet, or on our refrigerators. Even though the images are distorted and sometimes alien-like representations of the baby's future looks, we parade them around with pride because of the love we have for these precious ones God has entrusted to us. God moves our hearts to see beyond their appearance into what they can become. Healthy or not, boy or girl, head full of hair or full-on baldy, God has given us the opportunity to help form and shape the heart of another human being. What greater privilege could there be?


When as a new parent, I was thinking about my hopes and dreams for our firstborn, I felt God impressing upon my heart to pray for a heart of compassion and a spirit of Truth for him. To be honest, the implications of this ongoing prayer request scare me a bit! It is hard to think about the reality that my children are growing up in a world that will make it increasingly difficult for them to stand up for what is right while walking the line between loving the sinner, but hating the sin. When those fears arise, I am reassured of God's promise that the heart of the matter is, well, just that - the heart. Ultimately, it is not about how eloquent a speaker or how talented an athlete our kids become. "The Lord does not look at the things human beings look at...the outward appearance..." What matters to God is what lies in the heart, and thankfully, that is where He does business. When by His grace, His Spirit lives in our hearts, we are able to experience transformation, to love, forgive, and share beyond human capacity.


Interestingly enough, later on down in 1 Samuel, it's revealed that David "was glowing with health and had a fine appearance and handsome features" (v. 12). So never fear for those of you with good-looking, godly kids out there! God can choose to use the child with strength, fine appearance, or handsome features for His great purposes just as much as He can use the child with physical challenges or awkwardness. He makes a point of reminding us that it is the heart that He is interested in. No physical exam or beauty contest is needed for the task of representing the Most High God!


Dear God,
Thank you for providing us with the humbling position of being parents. We ask for Your power to influence our children in ways that reinforce your desires and plans for their lives. Please help us encourage their hearts, especially when the world is hurtful and challenging. Keep us focused in your Word and reliant upon Your Spirit for truth, strength, and daily transformation.
In Jesus' name,
Amen.

Shout for joy

Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Psalm 100:1-2

One of my greatest joys is watching kids grow in understanding and participation in church life. Some Sundays though it is very hard to worship with my kids. They both love church - the members, Bible stories, songs, the liturgy - yet the way they express their joy over being there can be easily misinterpreted. There are times when their "joyful noise" sounds more like chaos than worship.

In Psalm 100 it says specifically to "Shout for joy to the LORD". It does not specify that those shouts should only happen while outdoors or come from people under the age of 2! Witnessing the joy of the younger worshipers can be a reminder, and a challenge, for us "older" worshipers.

The Psalm goes on to say "come before him with joyful songs". It does not say that those songs need to be in tune or in time. This verse came to mind last Sunday as my 4 yr. old was chanting the liturgy at his own pace and in his own key. We have a small church so of course everyone noticed. In those moments I strive to remember that the Lord welcomes us all, regardless of our abilities.

Lord, please help me as I parent in the pew. Grant me your wisdom, grace and understanding. Also, please surround our pew with understanding souls who will enjoy the extra joyful noises we tend to make. In Jesus name, Amen.

Baptism Birthdays

We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

Romans 6:4

My son recently had his 2nd baptism birthday. We celebrated by taking out his candle that we received at his baptism and lit it during lunch and supper. We looked at pictures from that special day, and talked about the friends and family he saw in the photos. We read him a little children's book about baptism, and called our pastor so that he could say "thank you" as only a precious 2-year old can. We were not allowed to leave the table without singing his favorite "candle" song (This Little Gospel Light of Mine). :-)

Reese is too young to really understand the significance of his baptism yet, but we are working on building up in him to value what was given to him on this special day. "On this day 2 years ago, you became a child of God," we told him throughout the day on Tuesday.

I wonder... just because I have years on this little one, does the significance of what Christ has done for me through baptism really hit me completely? Probably it won't fully until I am face to face with my Savior and can truly realize the fruits of this incredible gift He gave me. Until that time, I daily "by contrition and repentance" allow my "old Adam" to be drowned and die with all sins and evil desires, my new man emerging and arising "to live before God in righteousness and purity forever." And I can encourage my little ones to do the same as we practice forgiveness and spend time internalizing the truths in God's Word.

Do you and your family members know when yours baptism birthdays are? If not, why not make it a point to find out and then start your own unique celebrations for these special birthdays!

Heavenly Father, Thank you for the work that you have done to provide forgiveness of sins, rescue from death and the devil, and give eternal salvation for me and my family. Please be with us as parents and show us how we can daily support and encourage your words and promises, given to our children through their baptism. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Taking Time for Interruptions

She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. For she said, "If I touch even his garments, I will be made well."
Mark 5:27-28

Do you ever feel like the whole day's checklist got sabotaged by interruptions? If you're like me, sometimes this makes me frustrated, discouraged, and even angry at times. If I call someone at home, I have even made a habit of asking "is this a bad time?" before launching into conversation, because I know how disturbing interruptions can be! I can tell my 2-year old to "go play now" and "mommy needs to get this done," but it never fails that I will still get interrupted several times into the course of my task with his needs or wants. "Juice, mommy. Hit the ball, mommy. Snack, mommy. Run with me, mommy?"

Jesus had interruptions too, and in Mark, we learn about a woman who interrupted the Master on his way to perform a healing. From the expanded context, I don't believe she was trying to interrupt him. There was a large crowd "pressing around him," and so she figured just touching the hem of his garments would be enough to indiscreetly heal her without causing a scene or disturbing his important mission. Instead, Jesus teaches us all a lesson on the significance of taking time for what some would consider interruptions. He stops and confronts her, assures her of healing and peace, and praises her for her faith.

How can we become more Christ-like in our daily tasks when God provides us with interruptions? Is the phone call from the neighbor a chance to provide encouragement to another mom who is lonely? Is the urgent request from a toddler God using us to reassure him of peace and provision? At the end of this day, join me in reflecting back and thanking God for the blessing of interruptions which led us into moments of service to Him as we extended His grace and love to others.

Father God, You are the author and perfecter of my life and of this day. You have ordained each day of my life and written it in your book before even one came to be. Help me to be thankful in the midst of life's interruptions, and give me strength to extend love and grace to the people you are placing in my path for your purposes. Thank you for using me as part of your plan! In Jesus' name. Amen.

True Confession

Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. James 5:16a

This week I found myself in the position of needing to make amends for having hurt a friend. My intentions were based in love and meant to be beneficial, but my approach was not a biblical one and exposed some of the ugly parts of my heart in the process.

Have you ever had one of those "open mouth, insert foot" moments?

I tried to explain myself, but that made things worse. Eventually, I was convicted by the Holy Spirit to take responsibility for my actions and confess my sin. That started a cascade of confessions that I realized I also needed to take responsibility for to about a half dozen other individuals who were exposed to what I had said and may have also been hurt by it.

Before the confession phone calls, I was a mess. I couldn't sleep, I was crying, I was scared of how people would react and that confronting my sin with each individual would cause our relationships to change forever.

After the confession calls, I realized that with each one, God was lifting a burden from my heart and healing me. I had a good night's slept for the first time in a long while. While the scars of what I've done may continue to exist, God's healing work on the cross has covered my sin and his forgiveness is providing such incredible healing and new growth for me in this particular area of temptation.

Although my child is only 2, I do try to incorporate this habit into our dealings with him as well. When I have erred in my parenting and it has caused him hurt or diminished the trust in our relationship, I take a moment to apologize to him and ask for forgiveness. Although he is at a point in his development where I have to guide him to say the words "I forgive you, Mommy" (as they are difficult for him to pronounce), my hope is that by practicing this now, he will grow to have those words come easily off his tongue as he grows up and experiences the hurt of the world throughout his life.

As we approach the cross especially during this Holy Week, take some time to experience the healing power of what God promises when we step out in obedience to His Word and make a true confession of our sin to one another.

Heavenly Father,
Please help me to trust you and obey your Holy Spirit's promptings when I have sinned against a friend or family member. Give me courage to confess. Thank you for your healing power, which covers my sin and makes me white as snow. Please help me to live in your grace as I move forward in my relationships as a wife, mother, daughter, sister, or friend.In Jesus' name,
Amen.

Got Wisdom?

Daniel answered and said: “Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, to whom belong wisdom and might...He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding.
Daniel 2:20-21

Daniel was in a position where God had just revealed to him the answer to King Nebuchadnezzar's troubling dreams, thus sparing the lives of Daniel and all the other wise men of Babylon. Daniel blesses God's name, acknowledges Him as owning wisdom and might, and then praises God for what He has shared with Daniel. Isn't it interesting that he credits God for giving "wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding"?

Even though I trust in Christ, I still find myself in daily situations where I could use specific wisdom and understanding.

"Am I handling my toddler's behavior in a way that honors God?
How will I show my second child as much love and respect as our first-born?
Is the time I spend on my marriage reflective of the grace God has given me?"

I am encouraged by Daniel's example to be reminded that God is not a genie in a bottle that is to be consulted just when problems arise, but instead, He desires an ongoing relationship with us. As we remain connected to The Vine through regular time in The Word, prayer, and participation in the Means of Grace, God uses these gifts to make us wise and give us understanding. Then, when times of specific questions or troubles arise, as we are already in the habit of talking with and listening to our Heavenly Father, we can trust that He is ready and desires to graciously give us extra wisdom and knowledge to deal with our particular circumstances.

What a privilege that as parents, we can start influencing even our pre-born children with prayers and speaking God's Word over them. As our children grow and start making their own decisions, it's a comfort to know that God will use the time we have invested in growing their godly wisdom and understanding to draw them to Himself for the answers to life's dilemmas.

Heavenly Father,
Please draw me into Your Word and prayer with you on a regular basis. Help my children also to be in such a habit of learning at Your feet that when they come with specific troubles or concerns, they receive the extra wisdom and knowledge that You can provide. Help us to rest in knowing that You care for us and are generous with sharing Your wisdom.
In Jesus' name,
Amen.