"Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith, and in purity."
Funny story...remember how I spoke about setting a Christ-like example for others in speech? Well, not a few hours after writing that, my son and I were grocery shopping, and the woman working in the deli nearly pushed me over the edge. I will spare you the specifics, but she was not being polite or helpful, and I started to get very cranky. Gently, as He always does, God reminded me of my post. I took a deep breath, kept smiling, and thanked her sweetly for her time. The situation did get resolved, but not without a strong lesson taught to me. Even when you're in the best mood, someone can come along and tick you off. It's not our job to react on emotion, He spoke to me, it's our job to set an example. Just thought you all would enjoy that story!
So today, I want to focus on setting an example in love, in faith, and in purity. It is never, and will never be, the goal of this blog to get political. But often as Christians, I see that we are tipped way too far on the "judgement" side of the scale than the "love" side. God appointed each of us to set an example, but He did not appoint each of us to be his little earthly, Bible-thumping judges. What is His ultimate request in being a Christ-follower?
He answered, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind," and, "love your neighbor as yourself." Luke 10:27
That's it. That's the whole verse. Trust that I come from experience when I write this. I use to be one of the little earthly judges. Thankfully, God is putting those days behind me. With age, He is giving me a huge dose of compassion. Because I have the opportunity to know Christ, that does not mean I have the opportunity to look down on someone else because they don't. I have the chance to love them. This lesson has been magnified since becoming a mother. I have a new compassion on mothers of all kinds and in all walks of life. Mommyhood isn't an easy job, and it is much more difficult to get comfortable with than some would like to admit. Again, it isn't our job to judge, ever. He has taught and is continuing to teach me that it is our job to set a Christ-like example and to love. Our husbands, our children, our family, and our friends.
Faith. I firmly believe that nothing puts faith to the test than a pregnancy. I had a very real and paralyzing fear of miscarriage during my whole pregnancy. I saw it happen time and time again with my own mother, and I assumed this baby that we had deeply prayed for would be lost to my incapable body. When Caleb was born on July 21, 2011, my faith in God increased a thousand fold. The miracle of conception, pregnancy, and delivery is mind-blowing! Followed immediately by the faith that God will give you all you need to provide for this tiny, helpless life and you have just catapulted into a whole new kind of faith. Praise God for making us mothers and allowing us to see Him work in a way that only another mommy could ever understand. I'm finding that I have to be careful not to let my faith wane. Just as He brought me through my life to this point, and just as He brought my sweet son forth healthy and perfect, He will continue to lead me through this crazy life. Dictionary.com says that FAITH is belief in something not based on proof. That's right...it's based on God!
Finally, God asks us to set an example to others in purity. Immediately, your mind may go towards staying pure towards marriage. He speaks to us however we need to hear it out of His word. So, many women reading this may find purity means all sorts of different things to them. For me, purity means living a life with a pure and undivided heart for the Lord. There are no other gods that I desire to follow. There are no other gods I put my faith or trust in. I simply want to learn how to live better for the Lord each day, and I want to share what I've learned with others. The fact that He has used motherhood to so quickly grow me in my spiritual walk is a true blessing. I love that He finds whatever method works the best for us. Isn't He incredible?!
And, isn't it incredible how He can speak to you so much through one verse. I love our God! Be blessed today, mommies, and as always, I'd love to hear your thoughts in comments or email :-)
MMSM #35
Tip #23
Before my son, I was one of those women who would ride in a mom friend's car and think, wow...my car will never look like this. Guess what?! My car sorta looks like that :-( Perhaps I shouldn't let my son snack on animal crackers and cereal in the car, but then I wouldn't have anything to pick out of the crevices later! I have implemented a trash bag/can where all trash must be thrown and a toy box/bag that sits right next to his car seat. When we get home from wherever we've been, I try and take time to put his toys away and check for trash. No, my car will probably never look like it did pre-kids, but at least I feel slightly more in control with this method!
Before my son, I was one of those women who would ride in a mom friend's car and think, wow...my car will never look like this. Guess what?! My car sorta looks like that :-( Perhaps I shouldn't let my son snack on animal crackers and cereal in the car, but then I wouldn't have anything to pick out of the crevices later! I have implemented a trash bag/can where all trash must be thrown and a toy box/bag that sits right next to his car seat. When we get home from wherever we've been, I try and take time to put his toys away and check for trash. No, my car will probably never look like it did pre-kids, but at least I feel slightly more in control with this method!
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