To Love God Is To Obey Him

It is unfortunate that christian marriages end in divorce just as often as non-christian marriages. God ordained marriage. It is a covenant made unto Him as well as your spouse. Some people make this promise with very little commitment. When things get difficult or ugly and require long suffering, sacrifice, selflessness and forgiveness too often do people give up and give in to the destruction of the adversary. Satan seeks to kill, steal and destroy, especially marriages.

When making a covenant in marriage, we are committing to the union of one flesh, " And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh. Mark 10:8, KJV. To deny this covenant is to deny one's self. Love is what draws two people together and when that spousal love fails it's the love of God that must prevail. When Walter and I had a difficult season in our marriage, I called on the Lord. I shared my frustrations, my disappointment and pain. My heavenly father lead me back to the Word, "If ye love me, keep my commandments." John 14:15, KJV.

God is my first love and to love him is obey Him. Man's chief end is to glorify God and enjoy. My heart belongs to Jesus. I live to do His will, "...let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth." 1John 3:18, KJV. In the midst of my storm my love for God is what kept me. Even when I felt I had the right to be angry, vengeful, hurt or sad, it was God's love and forgiveness that lead me unto love and forgiveness for my husband. I know the Word but He called me to be a doer of the Word, to obey Him.

Many people feel that to forgive, to press on and love their spouse who does not seem to love them back would be wrong. But this is exactly what God would have us to do, to trust Him and the plan He has for us and to obey even when we are right or when injustice is our cross to bear. My love for God caused me to surrender to His will..."What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder." Mark 10:9, KJV, and His way..."Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore." Ps 16:11, KJV. I humbled myself and faithfully submitted myself to God and to my husband. God's way brings peace and reconciliation, hope and joy.

Do you love God enough to obey, to submit yourself to Him and to your husband?

Train Up A Child

"Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it" Prov 22:6 KJV. This is our golden rule. We take it serious, the responsibility to train our children. We are to train them from day one, while they are young, ready and eager to learn. Our baby is almost six months old, everyday when he rises he beams with excitement as he engages on the floor, crawling, exploring with such curiosity. He is already learning about temptation and authority as we instruct him not to chew on cords or put things in his mouth. To train them is to give them wisdom and understanding; keep them from sin and the consequences thereof.

This training is initiated with purpose, diligently with a goal in mind, "...when he is old, he will not depart from it." Instruction and discipline are key in this training. I liken it unto the "basic" training one would receive as a solider; train them for the future, the purpose in which they are to fulfill. Our children range in age from twenty years old to six months old and we find that the training of children is the same as the children get older. We must keep the same goal in mind even as they go through the rhetoric stage of life, trying that which we have imparted unto them.

We are still blessed to have the opportunity to impart wisdom unto our twenty year old. We find that though he is older, he too is still learning and growing. In this season the training initiated is that of guidance, reproof and encouragement. I find it important to open the door for conversation and to take the time to listen while praying unto the Lord. When training our older children that which we impart is done firmly, yet gently with that same hope of impressing the goodness of the Lord upon them as we had when they were younger.

We recognize even with this golden rule our children may depart from the way in which they were trained. But that will not discourage us from staying the course, from seeking the Lord daily on their behalf and training each of our children with commitment and purpose. Whatever their choice in life, Walter and I will rest in God knowing that we have planted seeds of life and we will trust Him to give the increase.

What differences do you find in training your children as they get older?

My Reactions...A Matter Of The Will No, A Matter Of The Heart

"For as he thinketh in his Heart, so is he..." Proverbs 23:7

I don't know about you, but I have said to myself many times "Today, I will not...". With great intentions I have purposed myself to do good and yet I fail. When the pressure is on I find myself reacting exactly as I said I would not, as a result of feeling hurt, disappointed, frustrated, angry, or used. Our reactions display our heart; our heart is the wellspring of life. "A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh." Luke 6:45 KJV

We can control our reactions when we change our heart and mind. I find that reading the Bible along with listening to music in the morning both help me to refresh and renew my heart and mind. For me doing this daily is a must. I also like to read. I have a couple of good books that I use as inspiration and instruction as well as accountability for me as a wife "Created to be His Helpmeet", by Debi Pearl, and as a mother "Shepherding a Child's Heart", by Ted Tripp, that I read periodically throughout the week. These are seeds planted for me. With these daily activities my desire is to be "transformed by the renewing of my mind", Romans 12:2 KJV. I have found this daily time devoted to the Lord and myself to be effective, something I look forward to and even miss when I am unable to take that time.

I also find it helpful and healthy to have accountability partners, a Paul, someone who I look up to that leads me by example and a Timothy, someone with who I can do life with. "Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend." Prov. 27:17
KJV

What steps are you taking or have you taken to control your future reactions?