Reflections of Motherhood - Part 3

This is the third of three posts about God’s plan for Motherhood. To catch up, please read Part 1 and Part 2.

“Mother means selfless devotion, limitless sacrifice, and love that passes understanding.”

Previously, I wrote that Motherhood is a gift from God in which we GET to participate with Him in the creation of life. The over-arching responsibility of Motherhood is for Moms to be imitators of Christ in all aspects of parenting. This has the most eternal effect on our children.  It is easy to pray for and love our children when they are young, but parenting takes on difficult challenges when those children reach the age when they begin thinking for themselves, being influenced by the culture we live in, and making decisions to live contrary to what we’ve taught and believe is honoring to God. However, the words of 1 Corinthians 13 rings so very true in those tough times:

Love is patient and kind; it does not demand its own way; it keeps no record of being wronged; it never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. (vv 4-7 NLT)

Yes, indeed, Motherhood is God’s gift to us! But in this last reflection, I want to propose the idea that Motherhood is OUR gift to our children. Let’s think about that for a few minutes.

Motherhood’s gift to our children

What do you do with a treasured gift? If you are like me, you do something special with it or put it in a special place of honor. Your children are the most special gift you will ever receive, so how do we reciprocate that kind of gift? By honoring them. The most honoring thing you can do for your children is to pray for them fervently just as Jesus prayed for His disciples and for future believers (that’s us!) in John 17:6-24. He prayed that they and us would grow and mature spiritually and be protected from the evil one.

If we are going to be imitators of Christ, we must also pray that our children/grandchildren find salvation, grow spiritually mature, and be protected from the devil who prowls about like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. (1 Peter 5:8)

We never stop parenting, and we should never stop praying fervently for our children. Eph. 6 tells us that the most powerful offensive weapon we have is the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. Put those two things together, and you have the same power that breathed life into existence. Praying the Word of God.

So whatever phase of life your children are in, from living a life pleasing to the Father, or living a life trying to ride the spiritual fence, or living in outright rebellion to God’s plan, praying scripture over them is unleashing the very power of Creation! 

For spiritual grow and maturity, pray Philippians 1:9-11:

And this I pray, that (child’s name) love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day Christ returns.

For protection from the evil one and for restoration, pray the Armor of God on your child/grandchild.

Father, let _____________ be strong in You, and in the strength of Your might. Put on her/him the full armor of God that she/he may be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. Lord, hold her/him tight with the belt of Truth. You are the Truth; help _______ to hold fast to you and not be afraid. Dress her/him with the breastplate of righteousness – search her/his heart, protect her/his heart, and fill it heart with right motives and emotions. Place on her/him the shoes of the gospel of peace. Where ever she/he goes, let her/him go in the spirit of peace and be ready to share Your salvation with those she/he meets. Place in her/his hands the shield of faith that it might deflect the flaming missiles of the evil one. Through faith, let her/him carry out Your purpose and claim the victory that You have already won. And Father, put on _________the helmet of salvation. Remind her/him who she/he belongs to and not let her/him listen to the whispers of Satan. Protect her/his mind from falsehoods and self-defeating thoughts. Transform her/his mind into the mind of Christ as she/he goes about daily life. Finally, Father, let her/him carry the Sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Bring to mind the verses needed for comfort, courage, and battle against Satan. Let her/him remember Your word and claim it as she/he faces the temptations of Satan. Your word says that You have given Your angels charge concerning her/him, to guard and protect in all ways. Thank You for building a hedge of protection around her/him. Finally, I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that You are able to guard what I have entrusted to You until that day when you return. I entrust _______________ to You.

Eph. 6:10-20; Ps. 91:11; 2 Tim. 1:12

Yes, Motherhood is a gift – one that can and will fill our hearts to the bursting point one minute, and will hurt our hearts to the breaking point the next.

Our children are God’s best gift to us. As moms we have a special purpose in God’s plan for this world. And as moms, we have a tremendous responsibility to train our children when they are young and continue to pray for them until we die. Let it be said that the best gift you ever gave your children was a mom who prayed, prays and will be praying fervently for them until your last breath.

“Mother means selfless devotion (to prayer), limitless sacrifice (praying at all times), and love that passes understanding (prayer will bring understanding to both).”

 

Guitar Playing and Prayer???



A Rendition of My High School Days

At the end of 8th grade, I had major surgery on my leg to correct some issues caused by my bout with polio when I was two years old. The doctors warned my parents that I would be off my feet for about three months - or, as I saw it, the WHOLE summer! What a bummer! Back then, we had no computers, video games, cell phones, or many of the various other items available today to keep a kid somewhat occupied. I was in for one boring summer! I had been thinking for quite a while that I would like to learn to play the guitar. Now, you have to understand that I am a child of the 70's - a hippie-wanna-be! (Through my high school years, I had long, straight hair, lots of hippie beads, a curtain of beads at my bedroom door, and  wisps of incense burning in my room!) I thought playing the guitar and singing like Peter, Paul, and Mary or Simon and Garfunkel, or John Denver would be the bomb! My folks and I decided that I should put my energy toward that effort during my summer down-time. I had saved up some money, so I ordered a fairly nice guitar from the Sears catalogue. When it arrived, life, as I knew it, changed! I spent countless hours teaching myself several chords. I practiced so long that my finger tips developed blisters that eventually gave way to callouses.Then I worked on my rhythm and strumming techniques. By the end of the that summer, I was a guitar-playing fool! Over the next several years, that guitar brought me so much fun! I used it to teach Vacation Bible School and to lead the singing in my youth group and sometimes at Sunday night church. I didn't go many places without my guitar.

I am not an overly musical person. I love music, but I'm certainly not close to being "gifted" in that area. I had had a little musical training prior to my guitar years. My older sister was a very good pianist and taught me the basics of middle C, and I played clarinet in the 5th and 6th grade band - until I was "asked" not come back by the band director. (That's a story for another time!) But, for some reason, I ended up being pretty good on the guitar. No, it wasn't "for some reason;" it was because, for those three months, I devoted myself to learning to play. I'm talking hours at a time - practicing those chords and working on my rhythms and songs. I was truly devoted.

As I have read through Luke and half way through Acts, I see similar devotion played out in prayer. Jesus gave us several examples of devoted prayer in Luke and the other Gospels. As a side note, I am so glad God, in His infinite wisdom, sent Jesus to earth as a man! Not only did His coming provide our means of salvation, but He also showed us how to live a believer's life, how to experience abundant life, how to access God the Father, and how to interact with other people. Prior to beginning His formal ministry, Jesus was led by the Spirit to the wilderness for forty days (Luke 4:1-13). The scripture is definite in that He was led there to be tempted by Satan. Just like us, Jesus had to go through a refining process. But the scripture is also definite in that while He was there, He fasted and prayed. Jesus walked this earth as a man - don't forget that! He was showing us how to live out our earthly life God's way. Without spending "devoted" time in prayer and in the Word, man-Jesus could very well have taken Satan up on his offer to rule the world. Satan was and is the prince of this world and could have given the keys over to Him. Or after going a month without food, man-Jesus could have easily turned the stones into bread when Satan suggested it. But Jesus drew on the strength He was given through his devotion to the Father and refuted Satan's temptations with the Word of God.

Before Jesus began making the all-important decision of choosing the twelve men whom He would teach, He prayed. Luke 6:12 - It was at that time that He went off to the mountain to pray, and He spent the whole night in prayer to God. And when day came, He called His disciples to Him and chose twelve of them... Again, he showed us how important serious prayer is to our lives. Later, Jesus was arrested as He is returning from the Garden where He had been praying. Luke 22:39-46 - And He came out and proceeded as was His custom to the Mount of Olives...and He withdrew from them...and knelt down and began to pray...Scripture says that He was praying so fervently, that He was sweating drops of blood! Did you notice the as was His custom part?

Devoted means to commit to something completely, wholly. Fervent means marked by great intensity of feeling, passionate. That's the kind of prayer life Jesus had - because He knew the Father and had encountered the Holy Spirit.

In the disciples, we see a different kind of prayer life. All through the four Gospels, these twelve walk side-by-side with Jesus for three years, yet, we do not see a devoted prayer life. In fact, as they are nearing the climax of their three year journey and they go with Jesus to the Garden, and Jesus tells them to watch and pray - they fall asleep! Oh, how I relate to that! How many times have I've been caught "napping" when fervent prayer was needed! At times, I've been so out-of-touch with God that Satan has whispered, "You can't pray for that person; why, you aren't worthy to approach the Father because you haven't talked to Him in days! And now, you want to take this big need before Him? Who do you think you are?" Yes, I've been caught napping too many times.

But, when we get to Acts, the disciples' prayer life is very different. After Jesus ascends into Heaven, they gather in the upper room for several days "...continually devoting themselves to prayer." (1:14) Those prayers were answered in tongues of fire as the Holy Spirit rained down on them. As the church began to grow in Jerusalem, they continued to "...continually devote themselves to...prayer..." (2:42) and hundreds were being saved. And after Peter was arrested and imprisoned for the third time, the believers prayed. "So Peter was kept in the prison, but prayer for him was being made fervently by the church to God." (12:5) The result? An angel walked Peter out of prison and right up to the door of the prayer meeting!

What changed the way the disciples prayed? They went from knowing the man-Jesus to encountering the God-Jesus through the touch of the Holy Spirit in their lives. The man-Jesus showed them that by committing His life completely to God, a man could endure any thing Satan can throw at him, even Crucifixion. He could continue in this life focused on the Father no matter what happened to Him. Their personal experience with the risen Jesus through the person of the Holy Spirit empowered them to devote themselves to that life.

All of this gives me pause to reflect on my own prayer life. I have not been as devoted to prayer as I was devoted to learn to play the guitar! I have not spent hours at a time pouring myself out and bringing needs before the Father. My knees do not have callouses from hours of practice. I've been napping - way too long. Prayer is a powerful tool to be used as we traverse this life. Prayer is our secure line to the God who breathed all of this into existence. Prayer is necessary for me to grow in my walk with the Lord. And scripture assures us that fervent prayer is effective prayer. "The fervent (effective) prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much." James 5:16

It's time to wake up! Let's not nap any longer - It's time to become the prayer warriors He desires us to be!

Faith is Not Having to Have All the Answers...

We had another family discussion tonight concerning the events we've been reading about in Genesis.We agreed on at least a couple of things. One is our curiosity about why God continues to be faithful to unfaithful people. Second, they had some mighty strange customs that don't seem "right."

Now, a part of me is really glad that we see the Lord God continuing to be faithful to the people of Abraham's family tree - at least those on the Isaac side of the tree. It shows me that God doesn't give up on people. In fact, He gives them chance after chance to follow Him and obey His will. That's not to say they don't have to face the consequences of their choices when they disobey. But God, in His sovereignty, will ultimately see His plan for man fulfilled. In other words, we may alter His plan for our lives, but we cannot alter His plan for this world.

He makes a covenant with Abraham that He will make Abraham the Father of Many Nations - God's chosen people. He is given Sarah as his wife, and together they follow after the Lord God. God takes His time in blessing them with a promised son. We're talking about years! Years past the normal child-bearing age. So they take matters into their own hands. Sarah suggests that Abe take her servant, Hagar, and have a son with her - and he does. That was not how God wanted it, but He allowed it. Since the beginning, He gave man free will to make his own choices. As we all know from personal experiences, man (and woman) doesn't always make the right choice! Abe and Sarah did their part to "help" God along with His promise, and the result was the birth of Ishmael. God's plan was not to generate His chosen people via an illegitimate son. God allowed the birth of that son but not the birth of His nation through that son. His plan didn't change. Human nature took its course, and Sarah became resentful of Hagar and her son, and finally had Abraham send them away. How Abe handled that was really not humane - at least in our way of thinking. Sending a mom and her young son out to the desert with little provisions is a death sentence. However, God had mercy on them and promised her that her son would also father a nation, but this nation would be in contention with Abe's. Ishmael became the father of the Edomites. Today's native Middle Eastern people, the Arabs and Palestinians, are descended from the Edomites. Is there contention? Oh yeah....

God did fulfill His promise to Abe and Sarah, and they became parents to Isaac. Why did He make them wait so long? Was He testing them? Growing them? Toying with them? Didn't He know they would take matters into their own hands and mess up the plan? Why didn't He wipe them out and start over like he did with Noah? I can't answer those questions. There are some things we will never know or understand in this life. Part of faith is not having to have all the answers.

God's promise to Abraham was passed on to Isaac, who married Rebekah. They also had issues. When she finally did get pregnant, she had twins. Essau was born first, followed by Jacob. God intended for Jacob to carry the covenant promise even though Essau was the older son. Again, we see the mom take things into her own hands instead of waiting on the Lord and His timing. Rebekah and Jacob conspired and cheated Essau out of his father's blessing. They did not wait on the Lord. And again, there were consequences to their actions. Essau determined to get his revenge by killing Jacob, so Jacob was sent away for his own safety. It took him twenty years to return home, and he never saw his mother again. Essau married into Ishmael's family, thus, consolidating the forces against God's chosen people.

God continued in His faithfulness to His people and blessed Jacob with twelve sons, from whom He would divide and populate Abraham's descendants. Now, there was treachery in Jacob's story as well. His twelve sons were from four different women, two of whom were his wives, and two of whom were servants. Today, we live in a culture of a husband and one wife - at least, one at a time! It is not okay to have affairs with multiple people. Why was it different back then? Was that okay with God? If so, when did the rules change?

Once again, I don't have all the answers - but here's the thing. I am okay with not having all the answers. I know with confidence what God's plan for our generation is, and that's what I am to live out.

I don't know or understand why God put up with so much wishy-washyness and deceit. If I think too hard on it, I begin to get angry! Now isn't that ironic?

So, let me try to sum up some of the things learned from these accounts of God's people.

• God is faithful even when we are not. He keeps His word and does what He says He will do.
• God works on His on time-table. His timing is perfect, and when I try to "help" Him along, I am actually attempting to usurp His authority!
• God made man with a free will. However, when our will acts contrary to His will, there will be consequences that may ripple out beyond ourselves and may continue to ripple for eternity.
• If the poor choices of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and their families frustrate me to the point of getting angry, how much more frustrated must God be with His people (like me) when I am unfaithful to Him?

This is not an end-all list of lessons to be gleaned from the first thirty six chapters of Genesis. This is just the list that jumps out at me as I write. I pray that the Lord will continue to mull His Word over in my heart and mind and continue to teach me. And I pray that I will be open to His Spirit's teaching.