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Simple TRUTH

Christianity, Grace, homeschooling, Love one another, mom, motherhood, Parenting, Spiritual Encouragement, Uncategorized, , , , , ,

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Simple TRUTH

Wow, do we ever complicate the truth about grace. I just finished reading ALL IS GRACE: A RAGAMUFFIN MEMOIR by Brennan Manning. It was the last book he wrote before he passed away. I think I have mentioned him once in my blogs. That is because the truth of the gospel hits me between the eyes when I read his books….A RAGAMUFFIN GOSPEL, RUTHLESS TRUST, ABBA’S CHILD, THE RELENTLESS TENDERNESS OF JESUS and many more.

We as parents are so concerned in raising our children in the way of the Lord.  We take them to church every time the doors open, talk Bible and scripture, and sometimes unknowingly have an expectation of perfection.  When we should have been teaching constantly about the unconditional love of Jesus and truth of grace, we were teaching rules and regulations. And I am pointing the finger at me as a parent.

Oh, our hearts were in the right place…and later on I myself got the grace message and taught it, but oh, how I wish I had it down deep in my heart before that!  I would teach, show and exemplify the unconditional love of Jesus Christ.  I would extend grace to others as He extended to me. 

While under legalism, the rules and regulations have a way of catching up with you!  We cannot maintain the law!  It is impossible.  Then the cycle begins….obey, fail, guilt, start again….try and obey, fail, guilt, start again….and on.  Many times we believe God could never love us after that “sin”, so we just give up.  We fail.  We do not deserve the love of God!

But the truth of  grace is simple.  Not that what Christ did was simple…He sacrificed more than we will ever understand.  But His extension of grace to us is about Him, not our ability to get to HIM by all the “good” or “right” things we do! Grace is “something we don’t deserve, unmerited favor.”

Brennan Manning says:  “God loves you unconditionally, as you are and not as you should be, because nobody is as they should be.”

His grace is contingent upon me being as good as I can be. Truth.

THAT, my friends, in my humble opinion is what we should be teaching our children.  Theology is great, scripture memorization is awesome, even those called to apologetics is something to behold…but if I have not an understanding of unconditional love and the truth of grace, what do I have?  

Romans 5:1-2 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

True Grace—

Be Blessed~

IN CHRIST ALONE
Isaiah 55:8-9

*google image, NIV*

Simple Dining

Christianity, Grace, Love one another, mom, motherhood, Parenting, Spiritual Encouragement, , , , , , , , ,

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SIMPLE DINING

 

After church I saw a person standing on the corner of an intersections asking for money.  I gave him some, because I knew that is what the Lord wanted me to do.  Honestly though, can’t these people get a job?  Last Wednesday night at Bible study that new gal told us she had messed up in the past with some “inappropriate behaviors”.  Really?  I told her that God loved her and would forgive her, but I know she will do it again!  Gees, I go to church every time the church doors are open…cannot say the same for my neighbors.

We go out and eat every Sunday after services.  I swear though, I told my husband and kids that I will never go back to that restaurant.  That waitress was simply awful!  I don’t know how many times I had to correct her and let her know she was doing a lousy job.  One of her co workers whispered to me that her husband and just left her and her two year old little boy.  Well, I felt bad for her, but she had a job to do and was getting paid.  I expected better service and I told her so before we left!

NOW, before you start throwing tomatoes….or stop reading…this is an exaggerated story!  I would hope that I never consciously said or acted this way!  I especially would not have wanted to act this way in front of my kids….but, it does sound vaguely familiar.  That isn’t good. Did I say things as I “do good Christian” things in front of my children when they were at home with me?  What message have I sent them?

1 Corinthians 13:1-3 “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or clanging cymbal.  If I have the gift of prophesy and can fathom all the mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing…..Now we see but a poor reflection in the mirror, then we shall see face to face.  Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.  And now these three things remain: faith, hope and love.  But the greatest of these is love.”

Our lifestyle and the good “Christian things” that we do to be  a “good Christian” keep us from loving.  This type of bondage enables us to do things which mean nothing to the kingdom.  They are done out of obligation and not out of love.  Agape love allow us to love without condition.  The highest form of love is when God infiltrates our hearts and we are able to allow Him to love through us…agape love.

Is this easy?  Not always, but it is completely attainable when we understand the love that GOD has for us.  When we abide in his love and surrender our will and life to him, we are able to love, and that love drives us.  It allows us to “want” to love and share.  We are personally convicted to do out of our hearts, and not out of obligation.  It is useless to do anything…without love.

Children are beyond honest.  I messed up…alot. They could tell you stories, I am sure.  These simple lessons of loving, without obligation….and through love are the lessons I hope my children remember.  And if they remember my mistakes( I am sure they do when I think of hearing them repeat my words as I yell at the driver in the next lane)….I pray that they do learn from them, and not repeat them.

Simple Lessons.

Be Blessed~

IN CHRIST ALONE

Isaiah 55:8-9

*image-animationsA2Z, NIV Bible*

BFFs!!

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BFF “Best Friends Forever”

We’ve all heard that term I am sure.  I have three friends that I have had since grade school who are and will forever be my “BFFs”.  We have been through a lot together, supported each other in life, and now have to be together in case one of us forgets something…the other one fills in the blank!!

But recently I witnessed something that I had witnessed before…and cringed in the same manner I had before…a momma trying to be her teenage girl’s best friend.  Over the years I have seen this with some of my sons’ friends and ….gulp….I am sorry, that is not our job!!

We are to “parent” our children.  There will come a time when we become more of their friend, but I believe we are to always be the “parent”.  It seems like I became good friends with my own mother when I had my first son.  Our circumstances were different, I needed her advice on mothering.  We talked a lot, and now that I am older we talk a lot more.  We are almost experiencing some of the same things together! (She’s 20 years older for those wondering). But trust me, she is still my “parent” and lets me know sometimes.  Usually I needed that parenting myself to be honest!!

The King James Version Dictionary defines parent as “1.  A father or mother; he or she that produces young. The duties of parents to their children are to maintain, protect and educate them. When parents are wanting in authority, children are wanting in duty. 2. That which produces; cause; source.”

Wester’s definition- a person who is a father or mother : a person who has a child: an animal or plant that produces a young animal or plant: something out of which another thing has developed

 This may be wrong, but if my boys do something or say something “off”, I tell them.  I am not afraid they won’t like me anymore.  They don’t have to listen, they are adults…and I do it in an appropriate way and don’t nag.  At least that is what I think I do!! But we are still friends…just not best friends!!

In fact, truth be told…I “parent” a lot of people around me.  I just started a part time job and I am working with young people for the first time in years…I have already been talking like a mother.  Guess none of them will claim me as their “BFF”!

Ephesians 6:1 “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.

“Obey” is hupakouo which means to “listen, to harken, of one who on the knock at the door comes to listen who it is;  to harken to a command; obey, be obedient to, submit to”

I ask you, how can our children “obey” us if we are too busy being their BFFs and worried they won’t like us anymore? Trust me when I say that kids need boundaries.  AND kids want boundaries!  They don’t know how to articulate that sometimes, but they do.  I have seen it with my own children and with those I taught in the public schools for years.

We can be their friends….just don’t let being their friend overshadow being their parent!

Blessings dear ones~

IN CHRIST ALONE

Isaiah 55:8-9