Hebrews 13:3 ~ Remember the prisoners as if chained with them - those who are mistreated - since you yourselves are in the body also. NKJV
Remember those who are in prison as if you were their fellow prisoner, and those who are ill-treated, since you also are liable to bodily sufferings. Amplified
We sat and listened, some with our ears, others with their eyes. We heard story after story of untold suffering. Father martyred. Stabbed 13 times. Husband martyred. Orphaned children and starving families. Beheadings and beatings. Not beating but beatings, days and months, rolling into years of beatings. So many martyred. So many living martyrs yet still. More martyred in the 20th century then ALL the other centuries combined.
I looked down the line of their young faces, varying levels of sadness were plain to see as they heard of and absorbed these atrocities.
Then I wondered, what will she say? How will she comfort them and encourage them? What diligence and perseverance will fill her prayers for them? What will the Syrian mother do as her children not only hear of atrocities but face these atrocities? How will she prepare them? Will she send them to the mall to buy a new outfit? Or sign them up for yet another activity after school? Will she ensure they have an outstanding college education to face the persecutors? Will she buy them I-phone and tell them to text her about their troubles? Will she ignore the situation altogether and go out for a drink with her friends because she is really in need of a break? Doubtful. That is us.
The Syrian mother will intercede without ceasing, she will pour Scripture into them and over them in a steady, continuous flow, she will teach them to proclaim the name of Jesus, to the point of death and beyond. Many of their young voices we will hear echoing from the grave, naming the only name of our saving grace, Jesus.
I wonder about her and I wonder about us. Which one of us has it right? I wonder which will have a higher probability of spending all of eternity with her babies? I wonder?
But, truth be told, our parenting is just an outflow of our heart, our spirit. What our children see daily, hourly is a true representation of who we are. What we do in a pew is often not entirely true to the inner core of me and you. If you indulge your children, likely, you are indulgent towards yourself. If you refuse to disciple consistently you will likely find you are undisciplined with yourself. If you have an explanation and an excuse for every sinful behavior your children manifest then you will certainly excuse away sin in yourself. We parent our children the way we govern ourselves. And often, we do not parent them by the standard of the Word of God just as we do not govern ourselves by the Word of God. Every Biblical command can be viewed in a different "context" therefore determining - "it does not apply to us." We have reasoning for sin in the same way we reason away our children's sinful behavior. Let me name a few and see if they sound familiar.
1. They are tired.
2. They are out of their element.
3. I promise they NEVER behave this way at home!
4. It is a phase.
5. They are trying to learn to express themselves.
6. You know how kids are! (Can someone please explain to me what this means? Because apparently I do not know how kids are! Never in my understanding of children were they disrespectful, unkind, selfish and narcissistic. When did childhood become an excuse for unbearable behavior. Thank you Dr. Spock for your vast knowledge and expertise and entirely screwing parents up!)
7. You know how teenagers are!
8. You know how young adults are!
9. You know how middle age parents are!
10. You know how retirees are!
It is ridiculous, they are excuses and they are unbiblical. NO WHERE in the word of God does it instruct us to "bear with one another, esteeming others above yourself, unless of course you are tired, hungry, out of your comfort zone, or going through a phase." There are no prerequisites to godly behavior, you do not need to reach the age of 25 before you are expected to follow the word of God. We excuse sin in our children and in ourselves. We always have a reason for our own behavior or choices. Let's name a few of our excuses for not following Jesus the way He called us to.
1. I will when I finish college, this is time for me to experiment and enjoy life.
2. I will when I settle down and have a family.
3. I will when my healthy is better or my finances are more line.
4. Once my children are grown and gone because I currently can not do anything except manage them due to the first 10 excuses listed above.
5. That is the pastor's job.
6. That is the missionaries' job.
7. Jesus could not actual have meant for us to live that way - He did not mean for the Bible to be taken literally. (I must say here that we are quite selective in this interpretation - we believe He was entirely literal when He said He would die for our sins so that we may live in heaven for eternity and that all sins can be forgiven but in regards to loving your neighbor as yourself or carry your cross daily, here we begin to change our tune. We flip flop back and forth to suit our desires. Interesting.)
8. I will when I retire and have more free time.
9. One of my personal favorites - this is just how I am. (As if the blood of Jesus has no power to change us.)
10. Next week. Next month. Next year. Next century.
Our parenting is just a symptom of our own spiritual sickness or spiritual health. We parent with the same expectations or the same excuses we have for ourselves.
However, there will come a day when there are no more excuses, no more reasonings or explanations, there will not be tomorrow or next week or next year ~ we will all face that day before Creator and yes, so will each and everyone of our darling little bundles of joy ~ we would do well to teach our children and teach ourselves of that truth.
I never intended this to be of our parenting or rationales for sin and I fully realize that most quit reading quite awhile ago - most likely when I began the first set of excuses. So, I will post the other part of this blog another day, maybe you will have forgiven me by then, maybe not, either way the Truth is still the Truth, even when it hurts, and it does hurt, He revealed that to us all on the cross.
Remember those who are in prison as if you were their fellow prisoner, and those who are ill-treated, since you also are liable to bodily sufferings. Amplified
We sat and listened, some with our ears, others with their eyes. We heard story after story of untold suffering. Father martyred. Stabbed 13 times. Husband martyred. Orphaned children and starving families. Beheadings and beatings. Not beating but beatings, days and months, rolling into years of beatings. So many martyred. So many living martyrs yet still. More martyred in the 20th century then ALL the other centuries combined.
I looked down the line of their young faces, varying levels of sadness were plain to see as they heard of and absorbed these atrocities.
Then I wondered, what will she say? How will she comfort them and encourage them? What diligence and perseverance will fill her prayers for them? What will the Syrian mother do as her children not only hear of atrocities but face these atrocities? How will she prepare them? Will she send them to the mall to buy a new outfit? Or sign them up for yet another activity after school? Will she ensure they have an outstanding college education to face the persecutors? Will she buy them I-phone and tell them to text her about their troubles? Will she ignore the situation altogether and go out for a drink with her friends because she is really in need of a break? Doubtful. That is us.
The Syrian mother will intercede without ceasing, she will pour Scripture into them and over them in a steady, continuous flow, she will teach them to proclaim the name of Jesus, to the point of death and beyond. Many of their young voices we will hear echoing from the grave, naming the only name of our saving grace, Jesus.
I wonder about her and I wonder about us. Which one of us has it right? I wonder which will have a higher probability of spending all of eternity with her babies? I wonder?
But, truth be told, our parenting is just an outflow of our heart, our spirit. What our children see daily, hourly is a true representation of who we are. What we do in a pew is often not entirely true to the inner core of me and you. If you indulge your children, likely, you are indulgent towards yourself. If you refuse to disciple consistently you will likely find you are undisciplined with yourself. If you have an explanation and an excuse for every sinful behavior your children manifest then you will certainly excuse away sin in yourself. We parent our children the way we govern ourselves. And often, we do not parent them by the standard of the Word of God just as we do not govern ourselves by the Word of God. Every Biblical command can be viewed in a different "context" therefore determining - "it does not apply to us." We have reasoning for sin in the same way we reason away our children's sinful behavior. Let me name a few and see if they sound familiar.
1. They are tired.
2. They are out of their element.
3. I promise they NEVER behave this way at home!
4. It is a phase.
5. They are trying to learn to express themselves.
6. You know how kids are! (Can someone please explain to me what this means? Because apparently I do not know how kids are! Never in my understanding of children were they disrespectful, unkind, selfish and narcissistic. When did childhood become an excuse for unbearable behavior. Thank you Dr. Spock for your vast knowledge and expertise and entirely screwing parents up!)
7. You know how teenagers are!
8. You know how young adults are!
9. You know how middle age parents are!
10. You know how retirees are!
It is ridiculous, they are excuses and they are unbiblical. NO WHERE in the word of God does it instruct us to "bear with one another, esteeming others above yourself, unless of course you are tired, hungry, out of your comfort zone, or going through a phase." There are no prerequisites to godly behavior, you do not need to reach the age of 25 before you are expected to follow the word of God. We excuse sin in our children and in ourselves. We always have a reason for our own behavior or choices. Let's name a few of our excuses for not following Jesus the way He called us to.
1. I will when I finish college, this is time for me to experiment and enjoy life.
2. I will when I settle down and have a family.
3. I will when my healthy is better or my finances are more line.
4. Once my children are grown and gone because I currently can not do anything except manage them due to the first 10 excuses listed above.
5. That is the pastor's job.
6. That is the missionaries' job.
7. Jesus could not actual have meant for us to live that way - He did not mean for the Bible to be taken literally. (I must say here that we are quite selective in this interpretation - we believe He was entirely literal when He said He would die for our sins so that we may live in heaven for eternity and that all sins can be forgiven but in regards to loving your neighbor as yourself or carry your cross daily, here we begin to change our tune. We flip flop back and forth to suit our desires. Interesting.)
8. I will when I retire and have more free time.
9. One of my personal favorites - this is just how I am. (As if the blood of Jesus has no power to change us.)
10. Next week. Next month. Next year. Next century.
Our parenting is just a symptom of our own spiritual sickness or spiritual health. We parent with the same expectations or the same excuses we have for ourselves.
However, there will come a day when there are no more excuses, no more reasonings or explanations, there will not be tomorrow or next week or next year ~ we will all face that day before Creator and yes, so will each and everyone of our darling little bundles of joy ~ we would do well to teach our children and teach ourselves of that truth.
I never intended this to be of our parenting or rationales for sin and I fully realize that most quit reading quite awhile ago - most likely when I began the first set of excuses. So, I will post the other part of this blog another day, maybe you will have forgiven me by then, maybe not, either way the Truth is still the Truth, even when it hurts, and it does hurt, He revealed that to us all on the cross.
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