Reality In the Front Lines...The Home

 

 

My husband and I got all the kids into bed the other night, cuddled up on the couch and watched THIS MOVIE. While I won't post my personal opinion regarding this film here on this blog (don't feel the Holy Spirit leading me to do so at this point in time...still trying to let things simmer), there was a lot of "meat" to digest. A lot to consider.

 

  Is Scripture really sufficient?

(II Timothy 3:16-17)
 ^"All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work."

 

Anyways, it got me to thinking. I know I slacked in finishing my post series on the book Almost Amish and don't think the thoughts of finishing don't cross my mind because they do. Although I'm not going to proclaim our family is going Amish or anything, they do get a lot of things right.

 

There's a lot of discipline there and for good reason. We know that the Lord disciplines those He loves and for a purpose.

Hebrews 12:6b-7

"My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline,

and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,

because the Lord disciplines the one he loves,

and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.”

 

We are commanded to be set apart, right? Yes. (Romans 12:2)

 

I was talking about this topic with an amazing Titus 2 friend recently. A Titus 2 friend that I prayed for and the Lord delivered quite quickly.

 

Side note: I joked around with my husband the other night, okay partial joking, but partial crying that I'm not going to pray for the Lord to deliver specific people to me anymore because He delivers and then He takes them away (I'm currently praying for a laundry helper, but am having second thoughts...tee hee). The first family I prayed for, the Lord delivered and then they moved a year later. The second family I prayed for and the Lord delivered just found out that they're moving next month. Ug. "Okay Lord, thanks, but what's the deal?" I realized later that day that the families that we have become so close with and love as our own family have the same aspirations with farming as we do. The Lord could've not given them to us at all, instead He gave them to us for a short time to enjoy, fellowship with, learn from and wish them well (but continue to keep in touch) as they move on with God's plans for them and their acquired land.

 

Back to our topic...

 

We were talking about how there is such a danger in wanting others to see us as perfect. We all want to look perfect, right (especially us ladies...ah-hem. Myself included.)? It can present itself in the form of self-righteousness and oh, what a danger that is. The Bible says that our own righteousness is like filthy rags...Isaiah 64:6. When we don't give God the glory, He can't work. He won't work. He'll cut off branches due to our lack of fruit (John 15).

 

When this "wanting to appear perfect" mindset sets in, Titus 2 discipling can't happen successfully. It isn't genuine. It isn't godly and sin can take over. It's especially dangerous with us moms (I can see the heads shaking in agreement here...secretly of coarse, because it's hard to admit...gulp).

 

When I say that the Amish get a lot of things right, one thing that comes to mind is the way they disciple one another. They are living within close proximity of each other so that when a need arises, they can help each other out in the home (bringing meals when someone is sick, a baby is born or someone passes on, or helping a sick neighbor with farm chores, barn raisings, etc). The older women are living close to the younger women to model the tasks of respecting their husbands, discipling their children in a godly way, not out of anger, but in self-control and love. They may train and encourage the younger women about what grace is, how to listen to the Holy Spirit and to witness first-hand His fruits (Galations 5:22-23). They do this in each others HOMES.

 

It's easy to make homeschooling LOOK perfect. Just post up some pictures on a website or blog and talk about everything you accomplish in a day. Others will admire you and praise you and it's oh so easy to FEED off of that praise. Whether you work in an office building for a local company, you're a farmer who has the latest and greatest theories in permaculture design, you're a fitness instructor with a program to shed the most weight in the quickest amount of time or you're the mother at home who can pull-off having it all together and then some, it's feeding you praise and God wants to see if you're going to give Him the credit or not. After all, He's the one making it possible in the first place! 

So...

 

Who's modeling the HARD STUFF?

 

Who's giving the glory to God as He's working and changing you, pruning you for fruit?

 

We don't need another "study" or "ministry". We need to just do it (Nike was really on to something, huh?), giving God the glory for it ALWAYS. When we're so much in love with our Savior, it should irk us to receive the praise.

 

Let it be our challenge as mothers to let others into our homes (yes, when it's having a "messy day" or when we didn't get to do our hair), gleaning from our fellow sisters in Christ, modeling prayer, fruit, discipline, our daily struggles and our growth, intentionally in front of our children so that they may model it for their children, passing down a most genuine church body throughout generations just as Paul said and just as our Heavenly Father DESIGNED it to be.

 

Blessings!