The Greatest Parenting Priority

The camp counselors at our favorite summer camp write notes to each camper's parents at the end of each week of camp. As a words person, I always look forward to these notes as they reveal something about my kids I may not see from my parental perspective. If I were a counselor, I would be so tired by the end of the week, that I may be tempted to write the same thing in every single note just to get the job done, and that could be what my son's counselors' did. It doesn't matter. This post isn't about my son or his camp counselors at all. It's about what the last note reminded me regarding our role as parents.

That one note brought me more joy and gratitude than any sports championship win, academic scholarship, or fine arts recognition our kids could ever achieve because it addresses our greatest desire as parents.

"I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth." (3 John 1:4)

We make so many sacrifices (time, money, sleep, energy, comfort, and even sanity) to provide our children with the best environment, education, and opportunities possible, and in the community where we live especially, the kids' extracurricular activities often become all consuming. I have never felt more burned out than I did at the end of this last semester trying to support all our kids' activities, especially with regard to club sports. (I promised myself before I ever married that I would never let my kids participate in travel sports, yet there we were this past year, despite myself). It was too much to balance with work and family, but once committed, it's hard to make it all slow down when you are determined to teach your kids commitment, faithfulness, teamwork, and perseverance. But our priority as parents should never be about fleeting activities, but rather about prayerfully leading our children, through example, teaching, and spiritual nurture, into faith in Christ and then helping them grow in commitment and intimacy with their heavenly Father so they can lead others to Him as well. (Note: While we can teach, serve as role models, pray, and provide a spiritually nurturing environment, only God can give them the faith to follow Him.)

If our kids learn to put Him first in all things and know Him intimately, then everything else will fall into place without us wearing ourselves out trying to give them every opportunity. He will lead them and show us how to prioritize and when to say no. That last sentence in the counselors' note reminded me how easily I tend to lose focus on what matters most. I need to daily consider such questions as: "Is my #1 priority in parenting to spiritually equip my children? Am I praying for their spiritual growth more than their earthly success? Do I consistently point them to Jesus first and foremost? Am I teaching them to rely wholly upon Him instead of their own strength? Am I trusting God to do what only He can do in drawing them to Himself? Am I keeping the main thing the main thing, or am I too distracted by all the activities the world tells me my kids must be doing?"

Let us rest in Him, giving thanks for His undeserved grace when we have focused instead on the lesser things, knowing He is at work even when we fail to notice.

"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." (Matthew 6:33)

Examining our own hearts in light of continued racism, hatred, and violance

As hatred, violence, division, and accusations mount (according to plan), perhaps we should first honestly examine our own hearts in light of God's truth before reacting in unhealthy, destructive, volatile ways, fueled by the heightened and irrational emotions evoked by the media's false narratives, angry attacks, distortions, exaggerations, and outright lies. I have written in second person to engage others, but only after asking myself each of the questions below.
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"Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses." (Proverbs 10:21)

• Is your heart consumed with hatred or with love? 
• Are you praying for God's love to touch and redeem your enemy, or are you praying for him to suffer?

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 "When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives..." (James 4:3)

• Do you really expect God to hear your prayers if you pray outside of his will....wishing harm on others instead of good, simply because the media or some well-funded radical group told you that you should hate them? 

“If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.” (Psalm 66:18)

Note:  Regarding iniquity refers to deliberate, habitual, unrepentant sin.  It is placing one's desire to sin over their desire for God.  We all fall short, and God's grace is not dependent upon our works, but a truly repentant heart that receives the grace and redemption of God will hate one's sin and ask for God's help to overcome it instead of shaking one's fist at God and insisting He can't have that area of their life.  Such defiance is rejecting the Lord, not receiving Him.

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2 "For wicked and deceitful mouths are opened against me,
speaking against me with lying tongues.
3 They encircle me with words of hate,
and attack me without cause.
4 In return for my love they accuse me,
but I give myself to prayer.
5 So they reward me evil for good,
and hatred for my love." (Psalm 109:2)

• Are you slandering and attacking others without cause? Whether or not you agree with them is irrelevant. If they have offended you, then that is your problem, not theirs, for we are each individually responsible for how we respond to the words and actions of another. No one has the power to offend us unless we willingly give it to him. 
• How has the subject of your ire legitimately and truthfully (media narratives do not count because they are often unreliable) harmed you to warrant your attacks? 
• Are you returning evil for good or good for evil? 
• Are you seeking vengeance or trusting in the Lord's justice and goodness?

"Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, 'Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.'" (Romans 12:19)

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"Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves." (Romans 13: 1-2)

• Are you mad at God for allowing Trump to be elected? 
• Or are you a Republican upset over the fact that your state elected a DNC pawn as it's governor?
• Do you really think God makes mistakes? 
• Are you suggesting that you know better than the omniscient One who made you and who is the source of wisdom and truth? (John 14:6, Proverbs 2:6) 
• Are you subjecting yourselves to the authorities God has established or rebelling against them out of selfishness and without Biblical mandate?

"I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— 2 for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. 3 This is good, and pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth." (1 Timothy 2: 1-4)

• Are you praying for your leaders and seeking peace with your brethren, or do you wish injury and shame upon him?

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"31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. 32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you." (Ephesians 4: 25-32)

"6Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. 7 You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. 8 But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. 9 Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. 11 Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.
12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16 Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. 17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." (Colossians 3: 5-17)

• Are you verifying statements before repeating them in slander?
• Are you ready to forgive, or are you storing up resentment?
• Are you choosing to be thankful or bitter?
• Do you view all people, regardless of social class, race, or gender as your brother or sister, worthy of respect, acknowledging that you are nothing without Christ and no better than anyone else?
• Do you strive to obey God in all things, asking Him to help you when you fall short, ever grateful for His mercy and grace?
• Are you opening your entire life, every decision, word, thought, action, and heart's desire to Him so that He can redeem and transform you? Alternatively, do you only obey Him when it is politically correct or convenient? 
• Is He Lord over your life or do you think you have authority over Him and are thus better able judge what is right and wrong, just and unjust? 
• Do you insist that you know better than God does with regard to His word, omitting the parts you find uncomfortable and clinging only to those that fit your narrative and make you feel good? 
• Is your life consistent with the knowledge that we will never experience freedom from sin, lasting joy, or peace until we become so uncomfortable with the reality of our sin that we choose God over our unholy lusts and humbly repent? Until He is Lord over all, He is not your Lord at all.
• Do you do all things to honor Christ or to exalt yourself?
• Are you a peacemaker? Do you put the interests of others before your own? (Philippians 2:4)
• Do you acknowledge that Christ is the only one who can unite us all and give us peace? Is He your only hope and heart's desire, or are you still trusting in earthly powers and fleeting carnal enticements?

Spiritual Reminders as Floods and Flames Ravage North Carolina

As I sit here by the fireplace, warmed by the heat of the flames and soothed by their soft glow, I think of my dear friends west of here where fire is having the opposite effect, igniting fear and destruction. They are surrounded by out-of-control fires whose dense smoke makes it difficult to breathe. That mountainous region provides the most spectacular views in the fall when the trees are covered with so many bright and bold shades of complementary warm colors reflected from the lush leaves. Yet now, the bright warm colors are emanating from flames canopied in dark, gagging smoke. The combination of prolonged drought, forest fires, and malicious arson have brought fire fighters to their knees, desperate for God's cleansing rain to vanquish the fierce and fiery enemy.

Last night, the rhythmic sounds of hard steady rain, which point to God's provision and nurture of life, did not lull me into peaceful sleep as usual. Instead, the sounds were steady reminders to pray that rain would leave us and smother the fires to the west. The rain also reminded me to pray for our friends to the east for whom rain brought destructive flooding, becoming the enemy not the remedy.

Our state has been hammered by both fire and floods in less than five weeks time. Both water and fire are essential for sustaining life, yet each has the power to destroy life and everything in its path. With so much power to heal or to kill, they are only good when kept within safe boundaries. The same could be said for so many other gifts in life as well.

God judged the whole earth (except for those he spared in the ark) once by flood, and He will judge it again one day by fire. Are we allowing these floods and fires to serve as wake-up calls, reminding us how much we need a rescuer who is greater than the water and fire which He made?

Do the fires remind us that God appeared to Moses through a burning bush and revealed Himself as the Great I AM who is perfect in holiness yet hears our cries, goes with us, and delivers His people ? (Exodus 3) Do the fires remind us the God is a consuming fire which should then lead us to both repentance and to worship?

"See, the Name of the Lord comes from afar, with burning anger and dense clouds of smoke; his lips are full of wrath, and his tongue is a consuming fire." (Isaiah 30:27)

"Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our “God is a consuming fire." (Hebrews 12:28-29)

Do the fires remind us that God walks with us and protects us through life's fires as He did with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego through the blazing furnace flames?(Daniel 3)

Do the floods remind us of God's promise in Genesis 9:11 to never flood the entire earth again?  Do they remind us that He is the giver of living water by which we will never thirst again? (John 4 and John 7:38)

Do they remind us of our eternal inheritance through Christ?

"‘Never again will they hunger;
never again will they thirst.
The sun will not beat down on them,
nor any scorching heat.
For the Lamb at the center of the throne
will be their shepherd;
‘he will lead them to springs of living water.’
‘And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’ "  (Revelation 7:16-17)

Whatever thoughts these floods and fires may stir in each of us, can we agree that the One who created water and fire possesses all the power, mercy, and love to deliver both the body and the soul from destruction? Let us be faithful in prayer for our NC friends to the east and the west, asking for God's presence to uphold and deliver them through floods and flames.

More pictures and updates of the fires which are now spreading across the state can be found here:
http://www.charlottestories.com/dozens-wildfires-now-spreading-across-north-carolina/