This is a podcast for Christian women like you to come take a breather from all the things they need to be doing for their families. Let’s hit the pause button, clear the noise, and shift our focus back on God so that you can find the grace & truth you need to do the work He has for you today.
“Wives submit to your husbands in everything as to the Lord.”
Submit. In everything. Everything.
Ladies, I can hardly wrap my brain around that, let alone my heart!
I don’t know about you but submitting to anyone/anything just doesn’t happen naturally for me. I don’t want to submit. I want my plan. My agenda. My ways. My speed. My desires. My preferences and on and on and on.
But then you get married and, as a Christian women, the Bible instructs you to submit to your husband in all things.
My husband. Man. Human. A very good, respectable man, I’m sure. But still, a HUMAN!
I have this running argument in my head with God.
I am supposed to submit in all things to another human being. That blows my mind. I have this running argument in my head with God - submit to my husband in all things? This man who I see sometimes do things the way I don’t think things should be done? This man who can’t understand what it’s (truly) like to be a full time stay at home mom?!?!
This sort of submitting is almost painful for me. Don’t we all have an easier time submitting to someone who we know has experienced and gone through what we have gone through?
Have I beat this horse dead yet? So what do I do? I don’t want to just wrap a “pretty bow” with a nice Bible verse for this insanely hard thing we are called to do in a time and culture that gives us so many other options. This sort of marriage - loving, respectful, submitting is no joke. No small thing. If you’re married and trying to do it the right way, you know. So how do we as wives submit to our husbands in everything?
Submission is Trusting in the Lord
Ladies, for me, as much as I enjoy, love and respect my amazing husband, the ONLY truth that can help me do this is that God knows BETTER. THAN. ME. The truth is there are going to be times where I may follow my husband’s lead into something that doesn’t turn out the way I had hoped it would. Times where I will have to let go of something I don’t want to let go of. This isn’t to say my husband doesn’t let me have my way plenty. (If you know my outspoken self and my very soft spoken husband, you KNOW Rob lets me have most of the say). But what I am learning as I have been married for more years is that, yes, most of the time I can beg and plead my case to get my way and I will get my way but even if it’s something good I wanted, no true fruit comes from that! When I sin to get my way - disrespecting my husband with unkind words, manipulation or whining - God is not blessing those choices.
The fruit that comes from a marriage where husbands and wives are submitting to one another is beautiful. I think I’m beginning to see some of that. But for now, what I know is that my understanding of God’s love me is what guides me to obey. I have to trust that God really does love me and so obeying His ways WILL turn out to be for my best even when it doesn’t feel like it or seem like it.
It’s hard. In the midst of a culture that tells us we should always get what we want. Submitting to our husbands in big matters or small matters, our sinful nature is going to scream at us to fight our case. But if our God is good. If our God is the wisest being. If our God made us and knows what is best for us. If He loves us so insanely much to send His Son to take every single sin and hardship upon Himself then surely we can run to him for help. We can trust that this submission to our husbands WILL be for our good and we can run the race set before us because we have a good God that loves us.
Growing Steadfast Hearts Through Prayers
Mar 20, 2019
Show notes
Prayer is very important in the life of believers. We pray because we love God. We pray because God loves us and wants to spend time with us. Jesus accomplished many miracles after He prayed. Prayer was one of the last acts Jesus did. Whether you consider the garden prayer in John 17 as His last or the one on the cross found in Luke 23 verse 34, He prayed until the very end of His life on earth. The Bible says that He ever lives to intercede for us (Hebrews 7:25). If Jesus prays, so should we. The earlier we start developing a prayer life, the better.
One of the most important assignments mothers have is to prepare the hearts of their children to have an intimate relationship with God through prayer. Prayer is key to building that relationship with God because prayer is an act of faith. Hebrews 11:6 says, “without faith it is impossible to please God”. When we demonstrate our faith in God through prayer and listening to what God has to say about our lives, we not only please Him, we also build our trust and confidence that He hears us.
Knowing how to pour our hearts out to God and how to listen for direction from the Lord can help grow steadfast hearts in our children. Let’s face it, troubles come to all. Knowing how to turn to the Lord in times of trouble can help our children resist the urge to turn to substance abuse, help them recognize schemes of the devil, and help them learn how to rely on God’s provision in times of need.
Teaching our children to pray becomes a challenge when life’s demands keep us busy surviving. Fortunately, God has given us enough time in every day to do everything He has assigned for us to do. He has also given each of us a measure of creativity we need to make the most of every day. The following activities are simple strategies that will ignite passion in children to pray.
Creating A Prayer Journal
Start a prayer journal with your child. My adult daughter started a “Thankful Journal” with her second grader. They are learning to memorize Bible verses. It is very important to establish a routine of spending time with God. Journaling is an easy start. Use a composition book or spiral you purchase at the local discount store. Have your child personalize the cover and set it in a special place where it can be found. Mom, you need one as well. Journaling together at the end of the day is a great way to develop open communication with your child. Choose a Bible verse to learn each week or two weeks, depending on the age of the child. Teach your child how to turn the Bible verse into a prayer. Make prayer lists and write down prayers. Date the prayers and reflect on them from time to time. Have discussions about answers and be sure to thank God for them.
Praying Silent Prayers
Talk about Hannah (1 Samuel 1) who prayed silently in the temple. The people around her couldn’t hear what she said, but God did and He answered her prayer. Play “Guess what I’m Thinking”. Ask the child to guess what you are thinking. Of course, they won’t be able to guess, this is an open door to help children learn that God can hear our thoughts (Proverbs 15:11). This means they can pray any where and at any time. Prayer is not limited to a night time ritual. Children need to understand that God is listening to us and He cares about what we are doing. God will listen to our prayers no matter where we are and we can pause to pray whenever we feel the need.
Praying for Leaders
First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.
— 1 Timothy 2:1-2
Talk to children about government leaders they may have heard about on the news or learned about at school. Create one cut stars, write the names of the government leaders, teachers, school staff, church leaders, anyone the child wants to include. Post the stars in the child’s room or designated “prayer room” at home. This reminds the child to pray. Mom and child can pray together.
Praying for those in need
Talk to children about how our prayers can help others. To demonstrate how one simple act can reach someone else, make a folded fan together. If there is time, decorate a sheet of paper before folding the fan. Both mom and child make their own fan. After the fan is completed, sit back to back and take turns fanning yourselves. “Can you feel the air from the fan behind you?” James 5:16 encourages us to pray for one another and our persistent prayers will make a difference.
Creating Psalms & Songs Together
The book of Psalms is full of prayers that are songs. Children love to create rhymes. On the commute to or from school, grocery shopping, or while shopping, try to create words that rhyme with the first line of a memory verse from a Psalm. For example, Psalm 77:11 & 12 (NIV) reads, “Lord, I will remember what You did. Yes, I will remember Your miracles of long ago. I will spend time thinking about everything You have done. I will remember all of your mighty acts.” This is clearly a prayer of thanksgiving. Turned into a rhyme would be
Lord, I remember what you did
Your miracles of long ago.
I will think about everything You have done
And will remember the mighty miracles You show.
Sing and dance freely while getting dressed or undressed. These will create moments of joy and laughter. Remember, Proverbs 17:22 says, “a merry heart does good like a medicine”.
Prayer Walks
Did you know there is a verse in the Bible about beautiful feet? Most children don’t. This activity can lead to discussions about praying for neighbors, churches, communities, and schools. Isaiah 52:7 declares that “beautiful are the feet that carry the good news and proclaim peace and salvation.” Having prayer walks around the neighborhood is great way to teach children how to cover their city with prayer. If an indoor activity is needed, trace and cut out family foot prints. Write Isaiah 52:7 on the prints and decorate them. Hang the up to remind each other to pray for your community and local church.
These are just a few activities to start building prayer habits that will last. Children will learn how to communicate with God, pray for others, and develop a consistent prayer life. While these activities involve mom and child, don’t forget to invite Dad. Remember the popular quote “A family that prays together, stays together” (Fr. Patrick Peyton).
Girl, Start Apologizing: Living in Light of the Gospel
Mar 13, 2019
Show notes
“Follow Your Heart.” ”You’ve Got This.” ”Be the Hero of Your Own Story.” ”She Believed She Could So She Did.” ”Do More of What Makes You Happy.” ”Girl, Stop Apologizing.”
These all seem like harmless, happy little mantras...but that’s what makes them so dangerous. Our society is grossly focused on self, but what does the Bible have to say about our ‘you can do it, power of positive thinking’ culture?
“Follow Your Heart”
Well, friend, I hate to break it to you, but our hearts are evil (Jeremiah 17:9).
Our natural, sinful bent that began in the garden is to love things that will lead us astray, and to put self above all.
For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power.”
— 2 Timothy 3:2-5, ESV
Ouch. Any of these sound familiar? This is what our hearts are capable of.
So when we’re tempted to follow our hearts, let’s cling to the Word to remind us who we really are: sinners in desperate need of a Savior, in desperate need of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:4-7), and In desperate need of a heart of flesh (Ezekiel 36:26).
“You’ve Got This”
I’m exhausted just thinking about this one.
I am regularly overwhelmed by my responsibilities as a wife and mother, and I don’t know about you, but I am so thankful that I am not meant to go through this life relying on my own strength. That I don’t “got this.” That my insufficiency is a beautiful invitation to lean into Christ’s perfect sufficiency. That his grace is sufficient for me, and that when I am weak, then I am strong (2 Corinthians 12:9-10). That when my heart is overwhelmed, there is a rock that is higher than I (Psalm 61:2).
“Be the Hero of Your Own Story”
This is probably the hardest one for me to reckon, because to say that I pale in comparison to the true hero of my story is so far beyond an understatement that I don’t even have the words.
Sisters, we have a hero, and HE is not us.
Jesus Christ who knew no sin yet became sin so that in him we might be the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21). Jesus Christ who humbled himself by becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross (Philippians 2:8). Jesus Christ who lived the perfect life that we could never live (1 Peter 2:22) and bore our sins in his body and died the excruciating death that we deserved (1 Peter 2:24). Jesus Christ who conquered death (1 Corinthians 15:54-56, 2 Timothy 1:10). Jesus Christ who is able to save the uttermost, who always lives to make intercession for us (Hebrews 7:25). Jesus Christ who is ALIVE (Matthew 28:6).
He is the hero of my story, and I pray that he is the hero of your story, too.
“SheBelieved She Could So She Did”
Well, this one is squashed way back in Exodus 20:3, in the first of the Ten Commandments. “You shall have no other gods before me.”
When we believe in ourselves we are deceived at best and idolaters at worst. The only power we have is the power of Christ that lives in us through the free gift of salvation that we receive by faith alone, by grace alone, through Christ alone.
Our justification should not lead us to self-sufficiency, but to worship (Ephesians 2:8).
“Do More of What Makes You Happy”
God does not call us to happiness, he calls us to holiness (1 Peter 1:14-16).
Jesus gives us a beautiful example to follow in his parable of the Good Samaritan. I seriously doubt that it made him happy to go out of his way to care for a robbed and beaten man who most definitely would not have done the same for him, but he had compassion.
He tended to the man’s wounds, carried him to shelter, and paid to ensure his safety during his recovery. He showed mercy.
And we are called to live our lives in this manner (Luke 10:33-37). To count others more important than ourselves (Philippians 2:3), to care for the least of these (Matthew 25:35-40), which many times will require putting ourselves and our happiness on the back burner.
“Girl, Stop Apologizing”
Girl, most days I can’t even make it past breakfast without needing to apologize to my husband or one of my children for my selfish attitude.
I am not advocating that we apologize for every little way that we fall short daily, despite our best efforts, but rather for putting ourselves and our motives first.
The only thing we should do unapologetically, is to live our lives in humble obedience to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
We are called to the ministry of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18) and more often than not, this will require compromise on our part.
We are:
ambassadors for Christ (2 Corinthians 5:20), peacemakers (Matthew 5:9); called to bear the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23); called to live peaceably with everyone if at all possible (Romans 12:18); called to live highly interruptible lives.
The problem is that we are sinners, and the posture of our hearts is tuned to our own selfish desires. We are called to count others as more important than ourselves (Philippians 2:3), and not to see them as potential disruptions in our way as we’re seeking to live the life of our dreams. The only thing we should do unapologetically, is to live our lives in humble obedience to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
So, you see dear friend, none of those happy little mantras will work, and I’m not asking you to take my word for it, the Bible tells us so. They tune our hearts to make ourselves the object of our affections and ambitions. They give us the completely false delusion that we are in control. They completely wreck our theology. Our only hope in life and death is to deny ourselves daily and to take up our cross to follow Christ in humble and complete submission (Luke 9:23).
The answer is not to work harder or to believe in ourselves, but rather to find rest for our weary souls in him, where the yoke is easy and the burden is light (Matthew 11:28-29). This is the heart of the gospel, and we should live our lives in light of it.
Bible Literacy: Essential for Biblical Womanhood
Feb 27, 2019
Show notes
When we think of biblical womanhood, we typically think of how we act, how we dress, our church attendance, or maybe we even think about our reputations. We think of holding ourselves to a certain standard of morals or service in our communities. There is nothing inherently wrong with any of these things. We should desire to act biblically, dress modestly, worship corporately, and serve others. But if these are the first things that come to mind when we think of biblical womanhood, then I’m afraid we’re missing the point. Biblical womanhood begins in God’s Word. This is where we truly learn what it means to be godly women. This is God’s chosen medium for revealing his character to us, giving us wisdom, and bringing us to know what true worship is. If we are to present our bodies as a living sacrifice, I submit to you that this includes our minds.
I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God.
— Romans 12:1, ESV
I have not come to this conclusion because I have been the model of biblical womanhood…quite the opposite. I have come to this conclusion because as a wife and mother who did not take the time and effort to immerse myself in God’s Word before this season of life, I often feel unprepared and inadequate. But there is good news for me, and for you, too, if you find yourself in a similar situation, and that good news begins in Genesis and ends in Revelation. The inspired Word of God himself presents to us the faithfulness of Abraham, the wisdom of Solomon, the steadfastness of Job, and the courage of Paul. Every story on every page declaring the glory of God and pointing us to Jesus.
How are we to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength when we haven’t gotten to know him through his word? The answer, simply put, is that we cannot. Dr. David Martyn Lloyd-Jones said that “If we believe that the Scripture is indeed the Word of the Living God, then we must read it all.” When we take bits and pieces out of the context of the whole of Scripture, we not only fail to understand it correctly, but we strip it of it’s redemptive power. When we immerse ourselves in God’s Word, and study it with our minds so that it can fully penetrate our hearts, we find ourselves armed and ready to be submissive wives and diligent mothers, caring neighbors and loyal friends, able to love the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength.
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.
— Deuteronomy 6:5, ESV
We will be prepared when trials and temptations come. They will come, and this is where God does his best work. He is not caught off guard when troubles come. He meets us in our mess and he transforms us in ways that only can be accomplished by suffering. We will learn to see suffering as his vehicle for sanctification…his vote of confidence in us.
I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
— Philippians 4:12-13, ESV
Will it be difficult to navigate our Bible study as wives and mothers? Yes, but we serve a great high priest, so let’s draw near to the throne of grace with confidence. This is the kind of access Jesus purchased for us with his blood.
Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
— Hebrews 4:14-16, ESV
Will we have to pray for discernment as to how to use our time? Yes. Sometimes this will look like studying our Bibles while our children play independently, and sometimes it will mean getting down on the floor and playing with them instead. Some days it will mean waking up an hour early to have our quiet time with the Lord, and some days it will mean getting that extra hour of needed rest so that we are able to care for our families as we should. No matter what this looks like for you day to day, God gives wisdom generously when we ask in faith.
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.
— James 1:5, ESV
Sisters, we cannot be content to let others do the soul sanctifying work of reading, comprehending, and interpreting the Scriptures for us.
As Matt Chandler says, “If you’re not confident in the authority of the Scriptures, you will be a slave to what sounds right.” God’s Word is not something that we can afford to be wrong about. We cannot become a generation of women who don’t know our Bibles. I know the appeal of turning to a commentary as soon as we don’t understand a passage, especially when that author is more educated and wiser than us, but in doing this we’re settling for another fallible human being’s opinion without first coming to grips with the text ourselves. I know that we want to get as much from his word as quickly as we can, but I think that God wants us to wrestle with it. I think that makes the aha moments along the way that much sweeter.
We are commanded to love God with all of our hearts and minds, not someone else’s. Let’s taste and see that the Lord is good and let’s keep running back for more because he has provided us with a proverbial feast in his Word. Maybe you’re not where you want to be in terms of your Bible study, your walk with the Lord, or maybe you’ve even abandoned Jesus for lesser pursuits. No heart is too hard for God to turn to flesh and through Jesus your failure is never final.
And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. You shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers, and you shall be my people, and I will be your God.
— Ezekiel 36:26-28, ESV
God named Sarah the Mother of Nations when she was ninety and barren. Jesus called Peter a rock when he was merely a pebble who denied him time and again. He does not see us the way we see ourselves and he does not leave us where we are. He is making all things new, even me and you.
Proverbs 31, Ephesians 1, and Resting in Jesus.
Feb 13, 2019
Show notes
There she is, with her crafty hands and her industrious mind. Her business sense and her toned arms. Her perfect advice and spotless reputation. Her image is always in front of me...taunting me, challenging me, frustrating me. The standard she sets is just out of my reach.
You know her, too, I bet. We all live in the shadow of The Proverbs 31 Woman.
Oh, those twenty-two verses that describe the woman I want to be. I want to be that hard-working, that honorable, that good at...well, at everything. Doesn’t she seem practically perfect at every. single. thing?
She does seem perfect, but I realized something recently. Those verses describe what she does, not who she is. This passage is a collection of verbs: she does, she looks, she works, she brings, she rises, she gives.
But what about the adjectives? Where are the words that describe who a godly woman is?
Those are found in Ephesians 1. I've underlined them below.
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us. In all wisdom and insight He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth. In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory." (verses 3-12, NASB)
There is more to the Proverbs 31 woman than meets the eye. How is she able to do all the things she does?
Because of who she is.
Look closely at those describing words in Ephesians 1. If you are a Jesus-follower, those words are describing you.
The believer described in Ephesians does not find her identity in the things that she does, and neither should we. She finds her identity in who her Savior tells her she is, and then she behaves accordingly. The actions of a godly woman are evidence of her sanctification. Her behaviors don't have value simply because they are noble. They have value--eternal value--because she is redeemed.
The actions of a godly woman are evidence of her sanctification.
Because the Proverbs 31 woman is chosen, she does. Because she is blessed, she looks. Because she is holy and blameless, she works.
What about you? When you read Proverbs 31, do you sigh and wish you could be more like her? Do you wish you could be as productive and wise and admirable as she is? Oh, sister, this holy chapter was never meant to be discouraging, or to add to our already-overwhelming daily to-do list. In fact, it never even indicates that this woman accomplished all these tasks in a day. It is a description of her sanctification; she accomplished these things throughout her lifetime.
She accomplished them because she has placed her fear and trust in the Lord (Prov. 31:30), not because she is some sort of spiritual superwoman. In whose strength are you working--yours, or the Lord’s?
In whose strength are you working—yours, or the Lord’s?
The bolded words in that section of Ephesians above describe our Holy Father. He is blessed, loving, kind, glorious, gracious, wise, and sovereign. That's the Magnificent Creator Who tells us who we are, and Who enables us to bring Him glory through what we do. It is His strength that is available to us. Do you know Him, friend?
Sister, you can rest. Rest in what Jesus has accomplished for you on the cross. You don’t have to strive. You don’t have to earn His love or acceptance. Ephesians 1 tells us that, if we are His, we already have those things in full. Let us resolve to stop trying to earn what we’ve already been freely given, and just respond to those gifts in grateful obedience.
I am thankful for the example of the woman described in Proverbs 31. But, from now on, I also want to be an Ephesians 1 woman. Because what I do is born out of who He tells me I am. And it is all for the praise of His glory.
Trusting God with Discipling Littles
Feb 06, 2019
Show notes
It’s the area of my life in which I most want to be successful, yet feel the most inadequate...discipling my children.
I want it to be effortless, for the right words to flow from my lips like honey at the perfect moment, cemented into my toddlers’ brains forever, waiting and ready to be recalled in a moment ten years from now when they need it.
So, I do what any “good” mom would do. I look for the best discipling resources, I read them all the Bible stories and books about Jesus, I catechize, I play Bible verses set to fun music.
Amid trying to serve my children, I become self-reliant. And I am reminded of a woman who tried to take matters into her own hands.
Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. She had a female Egyptian servant whose name was Hagar. And Sarai said to Abram, “Behold now, the Lord has prevented me from bearing children. Go in to my servant; it may be that I shall obtain children by her.” And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai.
— Genesis 16:1-2, ESV
At this point in the story, God has promised Abram that he will make of him a great nation. He has shown him the land that his offspring will possess. He has assured him that a member of his household will not be his heir, that his very own son will be his heir. God has made a covenant with Abram to bless him with more offspring than there are stars in the sky. But Sarai isn’t convinced.
She thinks God needs her help.
She feels the need to ‘do something’ to move this plan along.
And here I am, sitting in my three-year old’s bedroom floor trying my best to get him to recite the books of the Pentateuch, instead of trusting God for the salvation of my children. Instead of praying to the salvation of Israel to save my children’s souls,
I, like Sarai, try to help God out.
Now, I am in no way saying that God has promised to save my children like he promised to bless Abram with countless offspring. I am, however, saying that he can be trusted. That his plans cannot be thwarted.
I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.
— Job 42:2, ESV
That he is sovereign over every detail of our lives, and our children’s lives.
Whatever the Lord pleases, he does, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all deeps.
— Psalm 135:6, ESV
That he is a good, good father. And that no effort on our part is going to make the difference in our children’s hearts and minds.
Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help and rely on horses, who trust in chariots because they are many and in horsemen because they are very strong, but do not look to the Holy One of Israel or consult the Lord.
— Isaiah 31:1, ESV
That he abounds in steadfast love and faithfulness.
The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.
— Exodus 34:6, ESV
And that we do not have to carry the burden of saving our children.
That burden rests solely on the perfectly sufficient shoulders of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
It has already been accomplished through his perfect life, finished work on the cross, resurrection, and his ever present intercession for us at the right hand of the Father.
Will I continue to disciple my children to the best of my abilities? Yes. Will I do my best to take advantage of the countless opportunities God blesses me with every day to image him? Yes. Will I pray that my beautiful blue-eyed boys will come to know the Lord, and to love and serve him with their whole hearts? Yes.
But my confidence will not rest in my own performance. My confidence will rest in the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. The Father who has shown himself to be faithful to generation, after generation, after generation.
Is anything too hard for the Lord?
— Genesis 18:4, ESV
The Joy Marie Kondo Can't Spark
Jan 30, 2019
Show notes
Drawing from the collective insights of Marie Kondo, Joanna Gaines and many other home management experts, I rearranged our living room, drove out the clutters and carefully arranged my new different-sized throw pillows on the couch. I set out a new area rug and a console table that turned this space into a cozy welcoming home.
I took a step back and admired how beautiful our living room looked right now - so much tidier, so much prettier.
In my new found joy, I stepped away to attend to other household duties, only to come back minutes later to a living room that looked nothing like how I left it:
the throw pillows dumped on the floor like garbage; the rug not in its rightful place; and candy wrappers littered all over the console table.
The verdict was clear: my children were here.
I let out a frustrated grunt and begrudgingly reset the status of the living room.
The joy that Marie Kondo sparked was now long gone; instead it was replaced with anger and frustration.
A Temporary Joy
Yes, a de-cluttered, tidied and thoughtfully decorated home does spark joy but it is only temporary because it is manufactured by man.
What our souls are longing for is the true joy that only Jesus can provide.
Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
— Hebrews 12:2
The day Jesus was crucified, he was motivated by a joy that was set before him.
Every whip that scarred Jesus’ body; every step that Jesus took as he carried the cross; every pounding of the nail that Jesus felt as he was nailed to the cross… all these Jesus endured because of the joy that was to come when the work of redemption for you and me was finished.
When Jesus was seated at the right hand of the throne of God, he entered into God’s joy and he didn’t keep that joy to himself.
As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.
— John 15:9-11
Our Forever Joy
According to Thayer’s Greek Lexicon, a dictionary that helps us understand the original text of the Bible, to have our joy be full means to have our joy be made complete in every particular. Our joy is to be rendered perfect.
A complete and perfect joy cannot be taken away as it says in John 16:22, “So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.”
a joy that cannot be robbed of by a messy house; a joy that is sealed in Jesus.
When we receive Jesus into our hearts, we also receive this joy that Jesus endured for.
This is a joy that cannot be robbed of by a messy house; this is a joy that is sealed in Jesus.
We cannot let Satan distract us with the promise of earthly ‘joy’ that we forget about the joy Jesus has already given us.
Let our hearts be reminded of the love of Christ, allowing us to see clearly the joy that comes from our heavenly dwelling place.
That is a joy that not only sparks but stays lit for eternity.
Action Steps:
In Jesus’ name, ask the Father to restore in you the joy that comes from a heart dwelling in Christ’s love.
Seek forgiveness from your family members if you had sinned in your frustration due to a messy house.
If you haven’t received Jesus into your heart, I encourage you to do so and let His joy be made full in you. Share with a trusted Christian friend about your decision to follow Christ; or, you can message me here.
God’s Grace in Toddler Tantrums
Jan 22, 2019
Show notes
“No! I don’t want mom to go! I don’t like mom!”
On this particular morning, the words being screamed from my stubborn toddler cut to the heart.
Typically, three-year-old tantrums elicit feelings of frustration and anger. But today, I just stared out the car window as the whole family drove to run errands - all while my daughter continued to cry that she did not want me there and did not like me.
My husband laid a gentle hand on my knee and reminded me that she did not really know what she was saying.
“Yes, but she needs to know that her words can hurt.”
She sniffled snotty tears and whimpered “but I just don’t like you”.
So, I calmly turned around, looked her in the eye and told my illogical toddler that her words hurt mom’s feelings. I told her I felt sad because I love my family and spending time with them all – including her. She sniffled snotty tears and whimpered “but I just don’t like you”.
Looking back on this family scene – one that will be too familiar when my toddler turns into a teenager – I cannot help but think I have thrown the same tantrum toward my Heavenly Father time and time again. How many times have I said with my course of action, “No! I don’t want You! I don’t like You!” How many times have I grieved the Father’s heart, rejecting His presence? We have been enacting this scene since time immemorial …
“And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” Genesis 3:8-9, ESV
Our original parents planted the seed of stubborn rebellion that bursts out of my toddler and cuts my heart just as it cuts our Lord’s heart. And yet, He calmly whispers that He loves me and just wants to be with me. He whispers it to my toddler’s heart too. And yours.
I am convinced that the sole purpose for toddler tantrums is God’s tangible way of showing us just how ridiculous, illogical and stubborn I am. I cannot count how many times I have been humbled by God working through my children to reveal my own sinful, selfish heart. His grace to me through tantrums feels unwanted in the midst of them – yet, I know He is lovingly pruning my rebellious heart in the middle of Target with a toddler on the floor or in my kitchen with food flung everywhere.
So, how can I put these truths into practice when I’m carrying out my daily mothering tasks? I pray that God would work through me His own attributes …
“But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.” Psalm 86:15, ESV
The Old Testament describes God as being “slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love” eight times (Bible Gateway, ESV). I ask God that this phrase would describe myself and my parenting. I am not there in the least! It is so much easier and satisfying (in the moment) to yell out my frustration. But oh, how it makes everything much worse (and therefore difficult) and full of regret when the moment passes. I pray God will continue to shape my heart into the mold He set before us in the person of Christ – a humble, obedient servant slow to anger and abounding in love.
Just as my children’s’ behavior are tangible examples of my sinful heart, God can use my parenting to show my children tangible examples of His love. Will I accept His good graces like toddler tantrums to humble me, to prune my selfishness and transform me into a mom whose primary response is slowness to anger and steadfast love? I pray that I will and that He will provide the strength to continue when the days are long and the tantrums terrible.
#048: How to Teach Children Humility
Jun 13, 2018
Show notes
Our TOPPODCAST Picks 
Stay Connected
