Little Joys from Our Ultimate Joy

“Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord,
the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior

are the children of one's youth.
Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them!
He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.”

- Psalm 127: 3-5

What are you counting on to bring you joy every day?

 

God has used the gift of motherhood to gently and continually remind me that only in Christ can I find ultimate joy. In His Word, God says that children are a reward and a heritage from Him, and that we are certainly blessed by their presence in our lives. It seems to me that this blessing unfolds itself in a myriad of unexpected ways.

First off, it's not hard to see that kids are just fun! They have more capacity to bring light and laughter to a home than anything else. Dogs and cats are great, don't get me wrong...but kids?! I've never laughed so hard in my life – they're downright hilarious, whether they intend to be or not! They are like the gift that keeps on giving – what a joy it is to get to “unwrap,” day by day, the unique little person God has providentially placed in our home.

But alongside the fun part, I believe God uses the challenging aspects of parenting to bless us as well. Children, by their very nature, are divinely designed to disrupt our comfortable, orderly, selfishly-motivated lives. Anyone who's been a parent for more than five seconds knows that children cannot help but interrupt our agendas (when our agendas don't include them). As an aside, I think we would be wise (and I keep telling myself!) to simply expect to be interrupted by them, so that when the interruptions inevitably come, we are mentally prepared and by God's grace handle them with love.

I have had to constantly remind myself that as a parent, my daily goals that I think are so important should never take higher priority than the little lives circling around me. My default is to be so performance and project-oriented that I completely forget that my children ARE the goal of my day. Oh, how I struggle and fail continually with maintaining this mindset.

Children are built to stretch us. To date, nothing has sanctified me more than being a parent! But when we stomp around with the (often subconscious) mindset that children are more burdens than blessings, we are believing the lie that “if only life could be easier, I would be happy.” Yes, raising children is hard work. But anything worth doing is difficult - and when we only focus on the drudgery of parenting tasks, we risk missing out on enjoying the beauty of each individual soul that somehow miraculously graces our homes.

There is great hope in knowing that these kids didn't just happen to us by genealogical chance – God very specifically chose you to be the parent of your children with the intention that nobody else could do the job for these little souls quite like you could. Yes, our children are purposeful gifts to us from a loving God, designed to ultimately (if not always in the immediate present!) give us joy. They are a gift. A reward!

Nonetheless, children are gifts with their own free wills, so at times their choices may bring pain into our lives (just as our choices sometimes bring pain to our own Heavenly Father). But we are called, regardless of our kids' actions, to faithfully love them as Christ does us, diligently praying for them every step of the way (oh, if we only knew the impact praying parents have had through the centuries!).

As we parent and pray, we should do so with a heart that trusts that it is the Lord who builds our family (Psalm 127:1). In Christ's strength alone, as we do our part (love, pray), we can trust that He will do His part. And even though we may struggle with feeling totally inadequate for the task, that's okay – because truthfully, nobody can parent in their own strength the way God desires for us to.

The weight of parenting is in reality a good thing – God is able to take the burden and turn it into a blessing. The continual challenges of parenthood are designed to drive us to our knees so that we draw nearer to God and cling to our loving Savior as our Guide, Provider, Teacher and Comforter – God is the Ultimate Parent, full of wisdom and grace who longs to spill it over onto all those who seek Him for it. So as we come to Him, “weary and burdened,” He will “give us rest” (Matthew11: 28-30) – not by totally removing the burden from us, but by giving us Himself, Who alone has all the strength we need to carry on.

The tumultuous, unpredictable winds of parenthood can shake a person to their core. When this happens, whatever our hearts cling to deep down as our source of true joy in life is clearly revealed. If we are seeking to find joy in anything other than Jesus (a clean house, an accomplished to-do list, healthy kids, successful career, praise from others, a perfect figure, “me time,” sleep!, etc...), our life's foundation will crack. We cannot stand on anything in this life other than the solid Rock of Jesus Christ.

Children bless their parents not only through the joy they bring, but also by continually forcing us back to the Cross – we can't parent in our own strength the way God wants us to. We are weak and broken and need Christ's help every waking (and sometimes half-awake!) moment. We can trust that as we come to the Lord for help, seeing Him as our ultimate satisfying joy in life, He will graciously provide everything we need for the task (Hebrews 4:16). It is the Lord alone who builds a family (Psalm 127:1), and in the end, we can rest assured that we will be “blessed,” and not “put to shame” when our time as parents is done (Psalm 127: 5).

Caught on Tape

 

"I will be careful to lead a blameless life-- when will you come to me?

I will conduct the affairs of my house with a blameless heart.”

 - Psalm 101:2

This Christmas we bought our son a camera, little knowing how powerfully God would use its video feature to grow us in Christ! There have been several times I've looked over at my son while I'm in the midst of an “intense” parenting moment with one of his siblings, only to find him recording the whole incident. Talk about a “heart check”!

Since God is an all-seeing God, the reality is, everything we do, say and even think is “on the record” – He is overseeing it all, all the time. Knowing this shudders my heart with an initial sense of dread (because I know the depth of my sin nature), but is quickly replaced with immense, restful gratitude (because I know the far greater depth of my Lord's forgiveness and grace, and that He has canceled my “record of debt” because of Christ's work on the cross; Colossians 2: 13-15, Hebrews 8:12). And from this thankfulness of heart, I am stirred with an unquenchable longing to “walk with integrity of heart within my house” (Psalm 101:2). But how do we have the power to do that ALL the time!?

The power of the Gospel is not just for Sunday morning worship experiences, mission trips or spiritual retreats – it is for the nitty gritty of everyday life. As a believer in Christ, you are a new creation, and you have the Holy Spirit (the same Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead! Romans 8:11) empowering you to live each moment according to your new nature. Although your old sin nature will remain to some extent until God calls you home, you are no longer enslaved to it (Romans 6:6). In the limitless strength of the Almighty One (not your own strength!) who calls you to good works in His name, you can walk with integrity each moment of your day.

You are not defeated by your flesh, the temptations of this world and Satan's continual badgering.

You are a victor

 

because CHRIST,

who is your life,

 

is the Victorious One.

By His grace, you can choose each moment to walk in victory. Start each day humbly before your loving Father, asking Him to fill you with His Spirit so that in each step of your day you will “walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4: 1-3).

Are You Working Too Hard?

Today, ask yourself in whose strength and for what purpose are you working?

"Man-made religion in its various forms seeks to have human works entirely or at least partially involved in salvation. In Confucianism, education, self-reflection, self-cultivation, and living a moral life save you. In Hinduism, detaching from your separated ego and making an effort to live in unity with the divine save you. In Islam, living a life of good deeds saves you. In Orthodox Judaism, repentance, prayer, and working hard to obey the Law save you. In New Ageism, gaining a new perspective through which you see how you're connected to all things as a divine oneness, saves you. In Taoism, aligning yourself with the Tao to have peace and harmony saves you. What nearly all religions and spiritualities hold in common is the theme that, if there is a savior, it's the person we see in the mirror every morning.

Christianity is also a religion of works - just not our own works. Only by the work of Jesus Christ are we saved. Only through faith in his sinless life, substitutionary death, and bodily resurrection can anyone be saved. Jesus saves us, which then results in our good works - what Jesus also often refer to as the "fruit" of this already accomplished work of salvation in us. This is a vastly different way of looking at the world than any other religion. Our works don't justify us. Rather our works are an act of worship to a God who has already made us new." - Mark Driscoll, Who Do You Think You Are?

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins ² in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— ³ among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body^[a] and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.^{[b] 4} But^[c] God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, ⁵ even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— ⁶ and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, ⁷ so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. ⁸ For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, ⁹ not a result of works, so that no one may boast. ¹⁰ For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

- Ephesians 2: 1-10

The Promise of Peace in the Midst of Pain

“The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.” - Psalm 34: 18
 

From our earliest childhood days onward, we learn that life is just plain painful at times. Our favorite toys break, our knees get scraped, people tease and let us down. As we grow older, it's clear that life does not get much easier – in fact, the wounds can pile up and just get uglier.

Herein lies the choice: when faced with the unavoidable heartbreaks, the spirit-crushing struggle of sin (ours and others), and just the unavoidable stress of circumstances this side of heaven, do you turn to God or run from Him?

 

When we choose the latter, frantically clinging to other people or false comforters (those idols we sometimes unknowingly think will save us from life's pain: social media, food, shopping, approval, false religions, alcohol, beauty, entertainment...), we will without question find ourselves in a perpetual cycle of discontent and, worst of all, disconnection with our Savior.

However, when we choose to allow life's pain to push us closer to God (which is, after all, one of the ultimate purposes of pain), we will, without fail, find our loving Father ready to sweep in and catch us up in His tender arms, comforting us with His promised peace that passes all understanding. I have seen this played out over and over again in my own life - never have I known Christ's nearness more than in my darkest moments.

If you are struggling on some front today (and really, aren't we all in one way or another?), run to Jesus and lay it all down at His feet. Do not turn to your right or to your left, but steadily look into His beautiful eyes and trust that He will give you all the grace you need. If you have placed your faith in Christ, you are His little child and He loves you even in the midst of your pain and sin. As you rest in His strong arms and saturate your mind with His Word, let Him carry and fill you with His peace and strength, knowing that He will work ALL things together for your good and His glory.

Let's thank God that we have a Savior who is near to, not far from, the brokenhearted. He desires to be close to you, just as you are right now – let that fact alone comfort you today.

"Therefore the LORD waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the LORD is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him. 

For a people shall dwell in Zion, in Jerusalem; you shall weep no more. He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry. As soon as he hears it, he answers you. And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your Teacher will not hide himself anymore, but your eyes shall see your Teacher. And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, "This is the way, walk in it," when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left. Then you will defile your carved idols overlaid with silver and your gold-plated metal images. You will scatter them as unclean things. You will say to them, "Be gone!" - Isaiah 30: 18-22

Safe in His Prevailing Purpose

“There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the LORD.”

-Proverbs 21:30

What am I relying on?

If I take an honest, hard look at my innermost self – the one who, when sleepless nights strike, is prone to dwell on the “what ifs” - where does my heart find it's strength, it's deep, down hope? Do I find comfort and security in conjured up plans of what I think my life should look like in order to maintain a certain level of happiness (“as long as we all stay healthy/have this home/educate our kids well/have this much money in the bank/are surrounded by friends and family...”)?

Or do I base my sense of assurance on the Rock, the Immovable One, my Faithful Father?

Because the sooner I come to realize that He is the One who is in control of all things and, more than that, the One for Whom all things exist (Rom. 11:36) – and not only that, but that He will work all things together for good, for those who love Him (Rom. 8:28) – the sooner I begin to let these truths permeate my spirit, sink down in to me, come to live within the fabric of my being...the sooner I will walk with a growing daily awareness that because I am in Christ (and we are promised that once we are His through faith, we will never be taken out of His hand – John 10:28), and because Christ is in control of all things, and because He is

the Good Shepherd, the True Light, Redeemer, Rock, Counselor,

Prince of Peace, the Almighty, full of grace and truth...

– because of these amazing realities, I am unshakably secure in Him. I can stop striving after the vain pursuit of trying to make my little life into “something” - in my own efforts, it will never be anything. But because I am united in Christ, my life has miraculously become a part of His Body, the beautiful tapestry of His presence being lived out in this world.

No matter where my life leads, I will always be safe in His arms.

“Many are the plans in a person's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails.”

- Proverbs 19:21

Vision Surgery

(it was the 80's, y'all)

I'm asking God for vision surgery. Yes, there is something wrong with my eyes – I've had coke bottle glasses since the age of three. My physical eyes are officially jacked. But lately I've been learning that what's most concerning is not the fact that without my contacts on, my left eye slowly turns inward and I can see two of everything (fun party trick that that is).

What's most concerning is how poorly the eyes of my heart see life around me. So often throughout my day I find myself battling against a sense of being overwhelmed with it all. We all have our own battlegrounds, and mine happens to be as a homeschooling mom of 4 little souls ages 6 and under. I ADORE my battleground and am beyond grateful, deep down, for the insanely gracious gift of my family. There is honestly no where else I'd rather be living out my days than in serving them.

But with little blessings often comes BIG mess(ings). As I sit here, I've got a sink exploding with dishes, a dishwasher begging to be unloaded, clothes in the washer and dryer (and sprinkled throughout my house in various places), a kitchen table strewn with crayons, paper, and leftover lunch, and my floors – oh, my floors. I sincerely don't remember the last time I mopped them. The type-A's out there are screaming, get off the computer and get to cleaning! And I agree, I need to. And I will. Again and again and again.

 

And then the mess will come back.

 

With a vengeance. (You know the saying, cleaning your house with kids is like trying to brush your teeth while eating oreos? That's the world I live in.)

 

And then I will be faced with a choice – the same choice I find myself staring down nearly every single second of every single day: Am I going to see the mess around me as evidence of my failures as a homemaker (which is my identity in this season), or am I going to see it as evidence of God's blessings?

 

Cause if my identity hangs on my perfect performance, then I am in big trouble. (I know there are a million things I could be doing better in my current role as homemaker and I truly hope to implement some of them...some day.)

 

But for now, when life is as it is with these precious, downright destructive little ones, God is using this to teach me to see Him even in the imperfect. And to learn that life will never be perfect. And that's okay.

 

Because it's in the mess where Christ meets us. It's in the mess where He speaks to us.

 

When we are broken down and tired from running and doing and going and trying, trying, trying to keep it all together and somehow we. just. can't. It's at this beaten-down moment when He so gently tips our chin up to His beautiful face and says,

 

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 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. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matt. 11:28-30).

See, this battle for restored vision I face now is the same one I've faced my whole life: Will I choose each moment to muscle through life in my own strength, trying so hard to perform or somehow maintain a certain mental state that will surely lead me to deep down peace (whew, it's exhausting even to write that sentence).

 

Or will I – even in the midst of the chaos – choose to slow down, look up and readjust my vision, focusing on God's astounding beauty and presence every second of this messy, beautiful life.

 

I don't need to frantically keep searching, cleaning, trying, doing...Christ calls me to rest.

 

Rest??

 

Yes, rest. In Him.

 

He is able to carry me and as I walk in His strength, asking Him to give me eyes to see life as He sees it, He will open my vision up to the most glorious sites.

 

Jesus will give me light just when I need it. I cannot see the end, but I can see Him, and

 

He is enough.

Blessed in the Midst of the Storm

“But blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD,
whose confidence is in him.”
- Jeremiah 17:7

In reading the story of Jesus walking on water in Matthew 14, I think, “why would Jesus send His disciples out onto that lake when He KNEW a storm was coming??” As a fallible human parent, I would instinctively never send my beloved children outside into a storm. But the Lord Jesus, in His sovereign wisdom, chose to do just that when He “made the disciples get into the boat and go before him” (Matt. 14: 22). God's ways are not our ways and His thoughts are not our thoughts (Is. 55:8). Jesus chose to use the waves to teach the disciples a critical lesson:

a truly blessed life is not one that is free from storms,

but one that is peacefully anchored in Christ even in the midst of upheaval.

It's relatively easy as believers to profess unshakeable devotion to Christ when it's smooth sailing, but when He allows - even commands - us to pass through a storm, do we keep our eyes focused on Him, or do we allow our hearts to fail in fear of the waves crashing around us?

To live a blessed life, we must daily anchor ourselves in the hope of Christ – His constant presence and unfailing promises. If, in our pride, we cling to the strength of ourselves or others, we walk out from under the blessing of God (Jer.17:5). When the eyes of our hearts shift focus from Christ, the surrounding waves of life's trials will always loom large, and the result is inevitably disastrous.

Like Peter, our feet will fail, melting into the abyss.

We were not designed to walk alone on the waves of life – the only way through is to recognize our weakness and humbly depend on the Lord for our every move, trusting that He will faithfully carry us.

Are there any areas in your life where you are not wholeheartedly trusting God to provide and guide? Where are you depending on your own feeble strength? As Peter did, call out to Jesus to save you, and in His unfailing compassion He will sweetly reach out His hand and pull you up to safely rest in His arms. You can have His blessed peace, even in the midst of the storm.