It takes faith to stand in Gods face and “do your own thing”. To have an absence of the fear of consequence is nothing less than perverted bravery. “I want to do it…but my better judgment tells me NOT to, but I do it anyway!” Choices are unremitting. They never stop!
Have you heard this one? “Yes, I have temporal values,
but I’m totally committed to God”,
or this one, “I want to walk in humility,
but I prefer claiming my rights…I want it done MY way!”
What about, “I want to be honest, but I don’t want to tell the truth?”
Or, “I want to be a servant to my family,
but on my own time!”
After all, it’s all about me and what I want,,,right?
What would you call this line of thinking?
A Preference is when “I want to do it but I have the right not to do it,
if I don’t want to do it”.
Preference, in this instance, is the polite term for its real name…rebellion…in one of its many forms. Rebellion is even called witchcraft in I Sam! We see it in an independent spirit that says, “my plans, my will, my way, my time” We see it when our little two year old stands in our face and demands exactly what he or she wants under no uncertain terms!
In Sally Clarkson’s book “Ministry of Motherhood”, she wrote:
“Children don’t’ need sweet platitudes of faith that will momentarily pacify their emotions. They need the authentic strength that comes from the true foundation of a biblical worldview and a proper understanding of the real Christ who is worthy of their worship! They need an unwavering, internal moral and spiritual compass that will help them weather today’s storms (and tomorrows) and will guide them for the rest of their lives. They also need to see what a real faith looks like when lived day in, day out, so they will have a pattern to follow.”
As you moms know, we are in a battle as never before, for the hearts and minds of these entrusted to us…the leaders of this next generation…
On the dock after a perfect day on the lake
with my grandchildren…leaders of the next generation…
Our family pulls away from the demands of a busy life once a year to celebrate “family”. We have just returned from one of those unforgettable few days! We have a habit of meeting in the evenings after supper to open the Word. The thoughts expressed here were part of one nightly discussion taken from the book of Ezekiel.
There is no separation of “sacred” and “secular” to the disciple of Christ. We are living a real faith, continually, so that our children have a godly pattern to follow or we are leading our children with no compass that will ultimately leave them unprepared for life.
Can your children recognize godly faith and conviction
from the pattern of your life
or
Does a pattern of rebellion against God, your husband and God’s ways
fit you better?
Life is NOT all about us
…”no man has a right to do as he pleases until he pleases to do right.”
~Jackie Johnson - I am a former tribal missionary to the Kuna Indians on the Colombian border in Central America. Fluent in several languages, my husband and I currently pastor a Spanish-speaking church in Southern California. My passion is discipling and equipping dedicated young women for life, marriage, motherhood, and beyond. I am the mother of two daughters and the grandmother of three Princesses and four young Knights.
