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Meditation for Moms

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 13:49:21 +0100

I have three young daughters, Hannah, Sarah and Julia, who were all born within a four year period. As a mom you fully understand that the past few years have been dominated by nappy changes, disrupted nights, feeds, disrupted nights, copious amounts of crying, oh, and did I mention disrupted nights? Often the days blur into each other as the cycle of motherhood goes round and round, and in this state it’s easy to lose sight of the meaning of our lives as we stumble around adorned with the butternut remnants of our toddler’s supper and the mental fogginess that accompanies too little sleep!

The true value of this time in our lives dawned on me just a short while ago. I realized that as we feed, change and comfort our children we are laying the foundation for the type of adults into which our children will develop, and their impact on their respective world and families. Deuteronomy 6:5-7 says:

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the roads, when you lie down and when you get up”.

Every moment that we spend with our children is an opportunity to teach them about God; it may be as we explain how an ugly caterpillar turns into a beautiful butterfly or how God tells expects us to share our toys with our brothers and sisters. As demanding as these times with our children can be, they are never wasted if we remember that they present endless moments that together combine to shape the next generation’s adults. The mission field starts in our homes and if we keep that truth in mind, every moment of every day becomes infinitely precious and meaningful.

Strength in the Midst of Struggles

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 13:48:40 +0100

I am sure you are familiar with the experience of walking out of a food market and feeling as if you have paid an inexplicably large amount of money for the few groceries in your shopping bags? The soaring price of living is affecting every one of us! In light of this all-too-common experience, I had a very interesting discussion with some friends around the dinner table last weekend. We were talking about the impact of World War II on our parents’ generation - yes that is the era in which my parents were born - with particular reference to food rations and shortage. My father and mother were both born in 1940 and lived their formative years knowing nothing but rations, rations and more rations. My father, for example, only ever owned one pair of shoes at any given time and as a family of five they had one topping (such as jam) for their toast, and when that was finished they ate plain toast for the rest of the month.

As I thought about what it must have been like for everybody affected by World War II, my thoughts drifted to the economic crisis in Zimbabwe, and then back to the situation in our own country. Looking at the big picture, I was struck by the fact that we are still living in relative luxury. Sure, things aren’t as easy as they were, but when we compare what we have to the circumstances of people less fortunate than ourselves … we are really blessed!

Jesus was very clear about how we should approach these consumer issues. In Matthew 6:31 and 32, Jesus says;

“ … do not worry, saying, ’What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (my emphasis).

Paul also emphasised the importance of accepting our circumstances, and he really knew what it meant to suffer! Paul writes in Philippians 4:11 and 12;

“… I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want”.

Most importantly, Paul tells us how to accomplish this state of contentment, regardless of our circumstances. Philippians 4: 13;

“I can do everything through him (Christ Jesus) who gives me strength”.

Jesus Christ is our strength through the good times and the bad, through the times of plenty and the times of little. If you lean on Christ, He will give you the strength to make it through the difficult times. Remember the story of the footprints in the sand … .

Be encouraged!

Let Go and Let God

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 13:47:56 +0100

I’ve recently been struck by how much time we waste pursuing our goals and dreams without, to quote a familiar phrase, “letting go and letting God”.

You know what I mean … . We get an idea of what we believe God is calling us to do, and we do everything in our human capacity to bring that idea to fruition. We make phone calls, write letters, constantly check our e-mail and keep our cell phone close by so as not to miss that all-important call!

I’ve learnt the hard way that there is really a much easier (and less stressful!) way to go about this, and that is to let God carve out the path He wants us to follow.

Look at what Solomon writes in Proverbs 16:9;

“In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps”;

and in Proverbs 21:9;

“Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails” (emphasis mine).

In a nutshell, we can do whatever we want to, but in the end it is God who determines the course our lives will take and God who ensures that His plans and purposes succeed. So why do we spend so much time, expend so much energy and experience so much stress in trying to make things happen? God will allow events to unfold in His time and in His way, whether we like it or not. So why submit to His power and sovereignty and rest in the certainty that His plans for us are better than any we could dream up. Give up trying to make it happen and wait with anticipation for the unfolding of the great things God has in store for you.

As a little girl I had a plaque in my room that now hangs in my parents’ kitchen and it says, “God gives the best to those who leave the choice with Him”. He really does! Try it for yourself!

Try This for a Good Read

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 14:06:11 +0100

Whoever said that the Bible is old-fashioned and irrelevant for today’s world really ought to take a look at the book of Proverbs. Seldom have I read a book that is more useful for the times in which we live. Proverbs has a way of simplifying everything and making it either black or white, wrong or right. Look at Proverbs 4:14 and 15, for example;

“Do not set foot on the path of the wicked or walk in the way of evil men.

Avoid it, do not travel on it; turn away from it and go on your way”.

It doesn’t come much clearer than that. Does it?

At the moment I am reading one or two chapters of Proverbs a day. Just recently I was challenged by Proverbs 6: 16-19;

“There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to Him: haughty eyes

A lying tongue,

Hands that shed innocent blood,

A heart that devises wicked schemes,

Feet that are quick to rush into evil,

A false witness that pours out lies

And a man who stirs up dissension among brothers”.

Some of these things are quite subtle and we can easily fall into the trap of doing them without even realizing that we are sinning. How often do we look at people who are inferior to us with proud and condescending eyes? And isn’t it so easy to stretch the truth in order to elevate ourselves or make somebody else look bad? These are sins that are easy to ‘overlook’ and yet the Bible says that the Lord hates them!

Proverbs has much to say about our everyday lives, from the big choices we need to make to the way in which we conduct ourselves at every turn.

Needing some wisdom and guidance in your daily walk? Read the book of Proverbs with an open heart to what God wants to say to you and I know that you’ll be informed and challenged.

The Suffering of Sin

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 14:03:28 +0100

The temptation to sin is huge. Why? Well, not only are we naturally sinful without the intervention of Christ in our lives, but sin is often disguised as something extremely attractive and exciting. And once embroiled in sin, it is very difficult to get out of it. I believe that there are only three scenarios related to sin, and all of them are increasingly unpleasant and burdensome. Let me explain what I mean … .

In the first instance, you are faced with the temptation of sin, in whatever form - gambling, adultery, fraud, to name but a few - and the struggle you face is either to give in to temptation or to turn around and walk away from it.

That act of walking away may be tough, but it is over relatively quickly and is therefore a whole lot easier than the second scenario which results from succumbing to temptation. In this case, as a Christian open to the working of God in your life, once you indulge in the sin you experience the contradiction of the temporal pleasures it offers, as well as the guilt associated with it. You now face two options. You either continue to sin, but it is highly probable that the Holy Spirit will convict you until you are overwhelmed by guilt. Alternatively, you decide to turn away from the sin which results in the searing loss that comes from the absence of that sin’s pleasures in your life.

The third scenario is even more unpleasant. In this instance, your sin is exposed and you are then forced to deal with the repercussions of what you have done. Added to this are feelings of extreme guilt, as well as the vacuum that results from that sin’s absence in your life.

God knows all of this and that is why I believe He is very clear about staying away from sin in the first place. Proverbs 1:10;

“My son, as sinners entice you,

Do not give in to them”.

Proverbs 11:5 says;

“The righteousness of the blameless makes a straight way for them,

But the wicked are brought down by their own wickedness”.

So my advice to you when faced with something that is wrong is to turn around and RUN!

Can you Say the Same for Yourself?

Mon, 08 Jun 2009 09:37:26 +0100

Picture this scene. It’s a dinner party to celebrate the official launch of a new company. The nine people who are central to the company’s start-up success are seated around the table, enjoying each other’s company and the good food. Half way through the evening, one of the directors makes a short speech about how exciting it is to launch the company. He then goes around the table and thanks each person in turn for the role they played. Unfortunately, the director unintentionally omits one of the people seated at the table...

How would you feel if the omitted person was you? The above account is a real-life story and I was the person who was left out. The interesting thing is that I honestly did not feel offended or put-out in the least. I think the important question to ask is ‘Why?’ Why, when everybody else was being acknowledge and thanked, did I not feel upset by being left out?

I asked myself that question, and the answer I came to is that I don’t need the affirmation of others to feel okay about myself. Romans 8:17 says;

“Now if we are children, then we are heirs – heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory”.

I know without a doubt that I am The King’s Kid and that makes all the difference. Everything else pales in comparison to that fact. Can you say the same for yourself?