Category: Different Scriptures

Posted in Different Scriptures

empty cupboards…

Posted on by Wick

You were up late last night doing laundry.  You have a list of things to do, and continue adding to it. At some point they’ll be accomplished – either on lunch breaks or if a sitter comes over during nap-time, or some other unknown hour of opportunity.  The meal plan is half-written, but you’re not sure the budget will stretch.  Not to mention needing a few minutes to actually get grocery shopping done.  It’s fall, and in the midst of trick or treating, bonfires, and other activities – the family is drifting forward on auto-pilot.

Maybe you’re somewhere in the midst of these scenarios.  Perhaps worse, hopefully better.  But no matter where we are currently, we all have seasons where the needs and stresses of life add up to a point where we feel like we’re being worn incredibly thin.  In those moments, we see our children looking up to us and think “Do I have enough left to offer them?”

In Luke 11:5-6 we capture an entire story in one sentence.  Someone has come to your house in the middle of the night with a need.  You want to help them but realize you’re out of food also.  So you went with your friends’ need to a third house.  Verses 9 and 10 here are often quoted in reference to God giving us anything we need.

“So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.”

But the verses aren’t talking about meeting our needs. They are talking about us coming to God, confessing that we have nothing to offer those we love. When we approach him on the behalf of those we want to love and support, He is faithful to respond.  These are very encouraging words to any parent who finds themselves wearing thin, feeling like they have very little left to offer at the end of the “to do list”.  As your child tugs at your hand, lift them into your arms.  Together, approach the throne of God and knock on the door of Jesus Christ.  We have his Word, that it will be given, we will find, and doors will be opened.

After all, they’re His children too…:)

Posted in Different Moments, Different Scriptures

beyond peer pressure…

Posted on by Wick

“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 road, when you lie down and when you get up.”  Deuteronomy 6:5-7

Recently I took a walk with my youngest daughter, Ruby.  She’d grabbed a magnifying glass before we left the house, but for the first bit of our walk she just kind of walked at a normal pace – once in a while looking down through the circle as she walked.  At one point, I picked up a twig, and asked her to use her magnifying glass so that we could look closer at it together.

Looking back at this picture, I’m reminded of the verses above.  Many times we hear parents today not wanting to “force faith on their children”.  Maybe they had a bad experience of being forced to sit quietly in church, or getting yelled at for inappropriate words, and not wanting that to happen to their kids.  This approach to faith gives very little value to what exactly we mean when we say “God”.  After all, we buckle our kids seat belts, get their vaccines up to date, and keep them from swallowing poison, right?  How much more valuable is the purpose/source/future of all things that ever/will exist, and being a part of it all the way we were created/invited to? 🙂

Sometimes our kids will take initiative and discover some amazing things we never would have on our own.  The number of times my kids have stopped to watch an insect, or a bird, or a balloon….etc…grows daily.  But many more times, it’s part of our identity as parents to direct our children toward things/experiences that matter.  To pray with them.  To read scripture with them.  To talk about things that matter in the same way we examined that twig together above.

Of course, that may make us want to know a thing or two about twigs before we examine them with our children.  (speaking figuratively there, of course)  May God be with us, as we examine/experience twigs, and as we impress them upon our children and families…

 

Posted in Different Learning, Different Scriptures

7 – 5 – 2

Posted on by Wick

This past week, our church began 120 days of intensive “returning to prayer” in our homes.  The goal is not simply to bless our meals, although that will be done.  It is not to make a list of requests and burn through them, although that might be done also.  As parents we wonder how to “pass on” our faith to our children and their children in a way that isn’t simply “teaching them doctrine, and how to nod in approval to it”.

Prayer is one of the main streams of faith in which Christ flows to our children, grandchildren, and beyond.

But what if we don’t know how to pray ourselves?  How much prayer is “enough” to make a difference?  If we start praying regularly now, won’t we/they feel hypocritical?

The answers are more simple than we may guess.  Jesus actually gives us a prayer himself (Matthew 6:9-13) and there are many Psalms available.  Beyond that, it’s okay to grow in our ability to pray…start where you are.  As for “enough”, we’ll get to that.  As for hypocritical, we need to get over our fear of being labeled “hypocrite”.

All Christians will be labeled “hypocrite” on their journey, hopefully. The Greek word “ὑποκρίνομαι” (hupokrinomai) literally means “play-acting”, and comes from the words “under” and “decide”. Actors are unable to decide for themselves in a play, because they are acting out a role.

At some point, Christ transforms us, and we begin to act out the new role He has given us. For a while, it may feel un-natural, like we’re acting. But as God transforms our nature, we find ourselves speaking the language of His Kingdom more naturally.

So how much prayer is “enough”? I doubt we can ever pray “too much”. 1 Thess. 5:17 reminds us “Pray Continually.” But our church has stolen (with permission) the “7-5-2” concept as a great place to start.  It means each week we commit to praying at least:

7 – times a week FOR our families, on our own.  Anyone can do this.  Whether you’re a parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, cousin living by yourself, whatever.  You have family and people you love that you can pray for.

5 – times a week WITH our families.  This includes meal times and bedtimes.  Yes, even grandparents.  With phones, internet, e-mails, texting, etc…it’s completely possible to connect with someone in your family 5 times a week to let them know you’re praying with them.

2 – times a week WITH/FOR our spouses or someone close.  Sharing requests and our hearts.  For single people, or widows, or divorced parents, this may be harder.  But not impossible.  Find someone you are close to (if you’re married, it’s your spouse!!), and share prayer requests and hold one another in prayer at least twice a week.  This may be the most challenging, if prayer is not yet an assumed pattern in your home.  But this is WORTH it!!!

Maybe you hear that and gasp, for such a small amount of prayer.  Good. 🙂  But for the majority of homes, statistics indicate this would be an increase of prayer, and we believe God can do some great things in our midst through these commitments to prayer.