obedience | From The Committed Heart

“People say to me all the time, “Wow, you’re so lucky that you found what God wants you to do with your life.” I look at those people and think I didn’t find it, it was just in the Bible. As someone who calls themselves a Christian it is very apparent that you are to love the Lord with all your heart and love your neighbor as yourself.” Katie Davis

I often imagine myself in a third world country working at an orphanage. I picture Josiah running in the sand, playing kickball with the older boys, Victoria sitting in the sun braiding the little girl’s hair, Alayna rocking precious babies under a tree, and Kayla playing dolls with the youngest ones on the porch. My heartstrings are pulled for the hurting and lost. There are many days I wish I could just pack up our family and move to Africa!

This to me is the greatest ministry possible. Serving some of the poorest people on earth and sharing God’s love with them.

Processed with VSCO with b1 preset As I ponder on these thoughts God quickly spoke to my heart, “I care for the students in Fusion (a middle school ministry at our church) as much as I care for those kids in Africa.” Wow! You’re right God (of course he’s right…lol). My mind has always glorified missionaries that make the track overseas. When to God a life is a life. He doesn’t place a higher value on the person that lives in Zimbabwe or Liberia. Each life is equally as important. Our kids in America may have food and clothes, but they are mentally and emotionally hurting more than ever. If everyone felt called to be missionaries to third world countries, who would be left to help the next generation from turning away from God?

Let me encourage you today. To the ones who rather be working in Peru, China, or even South Africa as a missionary, your mission field is right where you are. God has placed people all around you that you have the power to influence, the words to encourage, and the abilities to show God’s love. Pray and seek his guidance, but in the end, he may just say, stay put, your boss, your classmate, your client, needs ME and they will only see ME through you.

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise— “so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.” Ephesians 6:1-3

I have heard and read this scripture many times over the weekend. Our pastor preached from this scripture on Sunday morning and then I read it again last night during my study time.

Any time I go out to run errands, I constantly tell my girls to stay close to me. Being a mom of four I can’t hold all of their hands, so I have taught them to either hold each others hands and my pockets or to walk right beside me. At least once a week, I explain to them that their safety depends on them listening to me. If they are not aware of what’s going on around them and are not listening and obeying my voice something terrible could happen to them.

I like how Tedd Tripp explains, “Children’s obedience is not secured so that you can be obeyed for your sake. You must be obeyed for their sakes!”

As long as our children are honoring and obeying our words, they can receive security, safety, and blessings from above. Obedience is willing submission of one person to the authority of another. It means more than a child doing what he is told. It means doing what he is told without challenge, without excuse, and without delay.

One morning the girls and I were making our weekly trip to the grocery store. As everyone was getting out of the car. I saw another car driving up quickly to park into the spot beside us. I quickly told my daughter, getting out of the van, to stop. If she would have questioned me or went ahead anyways, she would have been hit! When a child steps away from your guidance, rules, or instructions they are putting themselves into harms way. They are walking outside the circle of safety.

Demonstration:

Blindfold your child. Tell them to listen carefully to your words. Now give them a couple of spins around. Next walk them through the house by giving them clear instructions, take one step forward, two steps to the left, etc., but be very specific so they do not fall or hit anything. Now with the blindfold still on, tell them they are free to walk any where they want to, but no one can help them. They will most likely run into some walls or furniture.

The same things happen when a child decides to go on their own and not obey their parents. They can stumble and fall but if they choose to obey their parents their walk will be smoother and may enjoy long life on the earth.

We can talk, lecture, and scold until we are blue in the face, but when we lead by example, something powerful happens. Our children actually have a model to follow after when they see Mom submitting to Dad and their parents submitting to the state and the church, it then goes beyond the words and a connection is made.