Racism, sexism and nepotism are not the way of God’s Kingdom, and when Christ talks about His Bride being without spot or wrinkle (see Ephesians 5:27), He is talking about a Church that shows no partiality, and loves without hesitancy. This is what He’s leading us to – to become His beautiful spotless Bride who loves as He loves.
When the Good Samaritan (see Luke 10:25-37) took such wonderful care of the man who’d been attacked on his way to Jerusalem, it showed those around him how they should be living. The priest and the Levite were known to be Godly men, yet did nothing for the injured man. The Samaritans were known for their degradation and violent culture, yet he went out of his way to help the man recover from the attack – he refused to walk away.
What Christ was trying to reveal through this parable was what truly mattered to Him. It doesn’t matter to Him if you are a scholar, pastor, or teacher, but that you are revealing the character of Christ through your actions. By loving without conditions, we reveal Christ on Earth – we are bringing Heaven to Earth. People believe what we do much more than what we say, and to some, we may be the only Bible they will ever read.
~Victoria Boyson as published in The Elijah List
I know that Victoria is talking about the church here, but my church is my family, and the place I’m most real and most responsible for my actions. And the place where I’m the least loving and kind, I hate to admit. I’m so very patient and sweet towards people I don’t live with. But the people I live with see another side of me. As I’m writing this, I’m seeing that I treat my older kids pretty well. They don’t rely on me for much. They can take care of themselves, and they don’t demand much from me. It’s the ones who want something from me who see the side of me I would rather not admit to. It’s my little 7 year old twins and my 4 year old and 2 year old who bring out the real selfish, impatient me. They ask, sometimes demand, things from me that are very inconvenient and annoying to deal with. And they always seem to choose the wrong times to ask.
But I should always be kind and loving, even when they’re being immature, demanding and, yes, even bratty. I know I need to help them see the error of their ways, but I need to keep a warm, loving attitude toward them during the whole process. I only have four little ones left to get this right. I feel the Lord convicting me about this. I’m going to be watching my own attitude and correcting myself in the way I interact with my little ones. Maybe I can get it right before these little ones grow up and aren’t so needy. I believe it will mean a crown for me if I can maintain a calm, sweet attitude with them at all times.
Here’s my chance. I’m not going to blow it.
Lord, help me to be patient and kind with the ones who are under my care. Help me to show them Your love and Your ways as I gently guide them into the correct paths. Forgive me for being selfish in the past and showing them anger and impatience and false impressions of what You are like as a Father. Help me to give up my rights to finish what I’m doing or think my own thoughts when they want to talk to me.
Change me into Your image, and cause my children to see You in me.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen
"Oh that God would give every mother a vision of the glory and splendor of the work that is given to her when a babe is placed in her bosom to be nursed and trained! Could she have but one glimpse in to the future of that life as it reaches on into eternity; could she look into its soul to see its possibilities; could she be made to understand her own personal responsibility for the training of this child, for the development of its life, and for its destiny,--she would see that in all God's world there is no other work so noble and so worthy of her best powers, and she would commit to no other's hands the sacred and holy trust given to her." -JR Miller
