(Who are the Jones' anyway?)
Society tells us to look out for number one - no one else will. I admit, I fall into this trap on occasion.
Make more money, buy a bigger house, drive the "right" car. All of this so that we will look and feel important.
The problem is while we are busy trying to be important, the world around us is falling apart. (The world being our families.)
Our children get our left overs because we have given our best to our employers - we set out to please them. We tell our children that the reason we work so hard is because we love them.
Society has told us that loving our children means giving them the best of things. Don't misunderstand, I am not saying all of these things are wrong. Nevertheless, if we are "providing" at the expense of our families, then something has to change.
When we stretch ourselves too thin, we get tired and grumpy and nobody wins.
Our children are our future and we have not been the best example. As a result, we live in a world that is filled with selfishness; get what you can while you can!
What is the solution? I suppose there are many, yet for me, I believe that God's way works best.
Instead of starting our day in a panic - thinking of all that needs to be done, take a moment. Spend some time with the Creator of the universe. After all, if He created the world in seven days, I think He is capable of handling our list of things to do.
It is with this in mind that I would like to share a daily devotional with you. It only takes a few minutes, but if we apply these simple truths, it will make a world of difference.
I want to be one that will slow down and help to make this world a better place. Won't you join me?
Psalm 67: 1-2 "O God be merciful to us and bless us, and cause His face to shine upon us. That Your way may be known on earth, Your salvation among the nations" NKJV
Sometimes the craziness of life can cause me to cry out "Lord, bless me!" However, in these times of desperation, my cry for blessing is hardly so that my life would reflect the ways of the Lord. It is because I am in need! For the moment, I am not worried about anything or anyone else.
This isn't altogether wrong, but why is it that we wait so long to cry out to the Lord? If we stay close to the Lord daily before things get out of hand, our cry for blessing will be for the purpose of expressing kindness, gentleness, selflessness and patience.
Stop and breathe. Everything will be waiting for us in just a few minutes. We will be doing ourselves and everyone around us a big favor by taking this time to reflect on the goodness of God.
Take time to thank Him for His hand of grace in your life.
Give your " list of things to do" to your heavenly Father. Ask Him, the Father of time, to work out the things of the day for His glory so that your attitude will be a reflection of His ways in your world.
Consider the day that lies ahead of you - then fill in the blanks.
Father, today I need:
Forgive me when I am in a state of selfish desperation.
Help me to make time for daily communion with you,
regardless of my hectic schedule.
I know when I share my heart with you,
my days of desperation are fewer and farther in between.
I desire to reflect the goodness of your character.
I desire to be a part of the solution
and reflect the beauty of how you intended this world to be!
In the Name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.
2 comments:
Thank you for that beautiful and annointed word. As a pastor of children, youth and families, I often find myself so busy serving others that I neglect my own family. Though I know my work is important, my first ministry is to those great gifts God has given to me as family. You reminded me of that this morning - and I am encouraged. Thank you.
If you were feeling the need for a little encouragement - perhaps God has been at work in both us in this moment. Be blessed...D. Pasadena
Hi D...Pasadena :-)
I'm so blessed to hear you were encouraged by this word. We who are in ministry do tend to forget our first call is to our families. Praise the Lord for bringing this back into to focus for you with the help of this word.
And yes, as a matter of fact, I was in need of some encouragement. As God calls me to this new place in ministry (writing), I sometimes wonder if it is some pipe dream, and think--is it even making a difference?
So yes, I believe our gracious God is at work in both of us this moment.
I will continue to pray for you and the ministry God has given to you. Thanks for taking the time to comment.
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