Wednesday, July 2, 2025
73.9 F
Atlanta
Home Blog Page 11

Why It’s Important to Honor Your Father and Mother

honor your father and mother

The fifth of the Ten Commandments reads: “Honor, your father and your mother.” This commandment is so important that it is one of the only commandments in the entire Bible that gives a reason for observing it – that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.

Many people read that part of the verse as a reward. But, while it may be regarded as a reward, the fact remains that it is a reason. If you build a society in which children honor their parents, your society will long survive. And the corollary is, a society in which children do not honor their parents is doomed to self-destruction.

Honoring Your Father and Mother Matters

In our time, this connection between honoring parents and maintaining civilization is not widely recognized. On the contrary, many of the best-educated parents do not believe that their children need to show them honor, since honoring implies an authority figure. And, that is a status many modern parents reject.

In addition, many parents seek to be loved, not honored by their children. Yet neither the Ten Commandments nor the Bible elsewhere specifically commands us to love our parents.

This is particularly striking, given that the Bible commands us to love our neighbor, to love God, and to love the stranger. The Bible understands that there will always be individuals who, for whatever reason, do not love a parent. Therefore, it does not demand what may be psychologically or emotionally impossible, but it does demand that we show honor to our parents which should automatically translate to love.

A Few Reasons to Honor Your Father and Mother

happy marriageSo then, why is honoring parents so important? Why do the commandments believe that society could not survive if this commandment was widely violated?

One reason is that we, as children, need it. Parents may want to be honored and they should want to be, but children need to honor parents. A father and a mother who was not honored are essentially adult peers of their children. They are not parents. No generation knows better than ours the terrible consequences of growing up without a father. Fatherless boys are far more likely to grow up and commit violent crimes, mistreat women, and act out against society in every other way. Girls who do not have a father to honor, and hopefully to love as well, are more likely to seek the wrong men and to be promiscuous at an early age.

Second, honoring parents is how nearly all of us come to recognize that there was a moral authority above us to whom we are morally accountable, and without this, we cannot create or maintain a moral society. Of course, for the Ten Commandments, the ultimate moral authority is God, who is higher than even our parents. But, it is exceedingly difficult to come to honor God without having had a parent, especially a father, to honor. Sigmund Freud, the father of psychiatry and an atheist theorized that “one’s attitude towards one’s father largely shaped one’s attitude toward God.”

There’s one more reason why honoring parents is fundamental to a good society. Honoring parents is the best antidote to totalitarianism. One of the first things totalitarian movements seek to do is to break the child/Parent bond. The child’s allegiance has shifted from parents to the state. Even in democratic societies, the larger the state becomes, the more it usurps the parental role.

How Can We Honor Our Parents?

Finally, there are many ways to honor parents. The general rule is this. They get special treatment.

Parents are unique, so they must be treated in a unique way. You don’t talk to them in quite the same way you do anyone else. For example, you might use harsh language when speaking to a friend, but you don’t with a parent. You don’t call them by their first name, and when you leave their home and make your own, you maintain contact with them. Having no contact with parents is the opposite of honoring them.

And yes, we all recognize that some parents have behaved so cruelly and I mean, cruelly, not annoyingly, that one finds it almost impossible to honor them. There are such cases, but they are rare, when we simply have to honor bad parents as unto the Lord.

Remember this, if your children see you honor your parents, no matter how difficult it may sometimes be, the chances are far greater that they will honor you. Think about it.

So, What’s The Play Call?

  1. Have there been times when you have not honored your parents?
  2. In your opinion, what are the reasons that we should honor our parents?
  3. Do you find this commandment difficult to follow? If so, why?

Don’t Wait Until the Morning Comes, Sing Now!

sing

So, for the past few weeks, I’ve noticed birds chirping rather chipperly outside my bedroom window. Now, you may not think this is unusual, but let me help sway you otherwise. This hasn’t been bright 5 AM chirping, nope, it’s been nighttime tunes.

Around 10 PM is when I noticed them playing and singing outside as if it were morning, and I don’t understand why. Maybe if it wasn’t so new then I wouldn’t give it a second thought, but as I mentioned, it’s only been a few weeks.

Perhaps these little birdies are suffering from jet lag or insomnia. Whatever the reason, it hasn’t been favorable for my sleep schedule. In fact, one evening, I was up watching television and I panicked because I thought I’d lost track of time and stayed up way too late, you know – because birds chirp at five and six in the morning.

Well, I grabbed my phone to see how many minutes of sleep I should try to sneak in before work and realized that it was just hitting bedtime, around 10. I had to take a moment to relax and register that the flock outside my window had just chosen to try lulling me to sleep instead of serenade awake. The funny thing is, in the morning, I don’t hear a peep from them. It’s as if they’ve gotten their days and nights mixed up.

Sing While You Wait for the Dawn

new songNow, I know you’re wondering where I’m going with this. Well, since you’re here… what if we decided to get our days and nights mixed up? You know, sing in our “nighttime” as we wait for the morning to come.

So many times, we hold back our praise and we hold our breath, just waiting for the sun to shine and for things to get better. Maybe we should decide to sing when the sun isn’t shining. You see, these birds begin their song when there’s no sign of daylight. Remember, it isn’t a 5 am selection, but a 10 pm tune that comes ringing through. It’s as if they know morning is coming so they sing anyway.

What I am saying to you is that your morning is coming, so go ahead and sing anyway.  

 So, What’s the Play Call?

I know it seems as if you’ve been in the dark for a long time, but live as if you can see the sun rising. Here are a few things to hold on to as you sing at bedtime:

  1. God is faithful all day long. No matter the time, God is working on your behalf, thank Him for handling every situation. “It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High: To shew forth thy lovingkindness in the morning, and thy faithfulness every night,” Psalms 92:1-2
  2. Remember the songs of Paul and Silas. When these two servants of God decided to pray and praise, not only was it midnight (before sunlight), but they were in prison, probably without windows to see any hope of day. Sometimes the evening is the best time to start praising God for your morning. “And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. And suddenly there was a great earthquake so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s bands were loosed.” Acts 16: 25-26.
  3. It may not make sense. “Singing” when it’s nighttime may not seem logical, but remember, God is outside of human logic. Most things you do in the daytime, you don’t think to do at night but sing anyway. Do what the darkness in your life cannot understand. “And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.” John 1:5

Stop acting according to your circumstance and cause your circumstance to act according to your actions. Like with those singing birds, daylight eventually breaks, they just don’t wait for it to break to sing their song.

 

Destiny Partner or Destination Ride: Where’s the Relationship Going?

relationship

Who’s Driving the Relationship?

In today’s society, we’ve set deadlines and timelines to every aspect of our lives, so we can stay in control of when we actually get to and from various destinations.

Sometimes, we apply this worldly clock to our relationships – especially when it comes to when and who we marry. Yes, God has given us free will, but we must allow the Holy Spirit to influence these decisions to either choose a Destiny Partner, or simply take a lot of destination rides.

A destination ride is when:

  • We want to be at a particular place, at a particular time.
  • We want to see specific scenery or live a certain lifestyle quickly.
  • We want to be free of accountability, and not responsible for the navigation.
  • We don’t want to be alone anymore.
  • We believe this is the perfect time to begin a family.

Have you ever taken a destination ride? Take a moment and think of some of the reasons why you entered or are currently in a relationship that God did not approve…

How Did I Choose a Destination Ride vs. a Destiny Partner?

As Christians, we can easily find ourselves on a destination ride when we:

  • Allow the Christian community to sign off on our spouse – instead of Christ.
  • Look for artificial credentials instead of authentic character to complement our life.
  • Are frightened that someone will challenge growth and transformation in our lives.
  • Look for someone compatible to our agenda, but not willing to be on the team of our assignment.

These are some of the reasons why so many divorces occur within the Christian community. Many choose destination rides, and when they reach a particular destination, that’s as far as that ride can go.

Think about this. If you’ve ever used a car service, you provide the pick-up location and the point(s) of destination. Upon arriving at the final destination, a price is paid for services rendered. However, if you need to go anywhere else, a new contract or itinerary must be created. But, there are no guarantees that the same vehicle/driver is equipped or available to take you to the next level – or that you can afford the cost to continue this journey to reach your destiny.

When the ride we thought was for a lifetime departs, we become stuck or stranded in one location of our lives.  That’s why it’s important to know that we can call on Jesus to catch the appropriate ride towards our Destiny.

Now the question is: are you with a Destiny Partner or on a destination ride?

So, What’s the Play Call?

Use this article as a relationship self-assessment, not as an excuse to separate or get a divorce. Get a relationship overhaul. Use one of many marriage assessments, like the Focus on the Family Marriage Assessment or The Love Dare Marriage Evaluation. These tools will help identify your relationship strengths and growth areas.

Begin rebuilding a new relationship “vehicle”, one that is unified and equipped to take your relationship to its destiny as one union.

Have periodic check-ins with each other and other Godly couples that serve as accountability partners to verify if you’re still on course with the plan God has for your relationship.

If need be, seek counseling or a marriage mentor or coach – depending on the area of help like anger management, depression, financial expertise, or sexual/intimacy.  Choose a specialist for your marriage’s specific needs in order to restore, rebuild and reconnect with God to be the best you in your relationship.

 

Pastors, Keep Your Cup Filled in a World That Empties It

pastors

By now you’ve probably seen the articles that address the state of many pastors in America. Navigating through the crisis of the pandemic, not to mention the other crises the wave of the pandemic has caused, has taken its toll on many pastors. If you are one of those pastors, please know that you are not alone!

As pastors, we are constantly pouring our cup into others. Essentially, that is ministry—giving our lives in the service to others.

However, if pastors constantly pour their lives into others—into ministry—but never have anyone pouring their lives into them, eventually their lives will become empty. Be honest, if your life was like a gas gauge in a car, where would the needle be? Closer to F? Half a tank? Closer to E? Or on E?

What’s your plan on replenishing your cup… your life? Many pastors fill their lives through Bible intake, prayer, solitude and solace, reading books, listening to podcasts, exercising, and/or engaging in a hobby. These are all important—especially prayer and bible reading as they allow the Spirit and the Word to minister to us. Yet, I would argue something else is needed.

Young Timothy and a Tough Ministry

Imagine you were Timothy. You are a younger pastor serving in your first, but difficult, ministry assignment—one in which you were tasked to handle some problems in the church (like false teachers). Not only are you in a difficult ministry, but you’re living in a very secular city. Because of the infancy of the church, there are no books to read, podcasts to listen to, nor conferences to attend to tell you what to do. Yet, you need to bring order to the church, appoint elders and deacons, minister to widows, and effectively shepherd believers …

Continue reading

God Gives Us Grace for the Race

run the race

I was watching the highlights of the 1992 Summer Olympics when I could hardly believe my eyes. An amazing event had taken place during the 400-meter dash that afternoon. A runner from Great Britain by the name of Derek Redmon had suffered a leg injury during the race and had fallen on the track.

With no hope of placing, Derek refused to quit. He gathered himself to his feet and began to hobble to the finish line. Suddenly, a man raced out of the stands and ran to Derek. This man placed his arm around the injured runner and arm-in-arm the two of them made it across the finish line. The man was Derek’s father. What a vivid example of living out the Christian life.

Grace to Finish the Race

grace for the raceThe verses above call for us to “work out” our salvation. This does not mean that we are saved by works. Eternal salvation is by faith (Ephesians 2:8–9). Instead, it’s a call to take seriously the command to live out all areas of our Christian life in obedience to Christ. Therefore, we are to avoid allowing challenges or other interests to stop us from doing all we can to finish the race.

Even though we are to strive at doing our part, finishing the race is only possible because of God. Our heavenly Father is working in us, giving us His divine power to “will and to act” in order to enable us to make it across heaven’s finish line.

No matter the challenges or temptations, Philippians 2:13 reveals that we have a Father who will crawl, walk, or run with us arm-in-arm so we, too, can finish the race He’s given us.

Always remember, Team, “He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.” (1 Thessalonians 5:24). Think about it.

So, What’s The Play Call?

  1. How does Galatians 2:20 relate to today’s topic?
  2. How does Derek’s story relate to you as a believer?
  3. According to verse 13, why do we desire to live a godly life?

Overtime: Read 2 Peter 1:3-11

“Father, thank You for the grace to run the Christian race. Teach me how to walk each day believing in this truth. Amen.”

 

10 Ways to Describe How Big God is to Your Problems

problems

Our Problems Face a Big God

I get it, Teammates. Life comes at us fast – without warning or explanation. Just when we think things are going well, here comes an illness, a layoff, a wayward spouse or child, an accident, workplace sabotage, death of a loved one, a pandemic… this list can go on and on.

It makes it no better that we are living in the last days when perilous times become the norm. Hate and revenge are the expected responses to an offense or disagreement. Injustice, greed, and racism saturate the halls of “high places” in society’s power structures.

Nevertheless, but God!

We serve a God who is bigger than any problem, frustration, challenge, trial, attack, hardship, sickness, injustice… THIS list goes on!

Sometimes, life can hurt so bad that we forget how BIG God is. Well, here’s a gentle reminder for all of us. Once we stir up the BIGness of God in our hearts and minds – here’s what we can tell that ol’ ugly problem.

A Non-Exhaustive List of How Big God Is

1. In the beginning, God.

Hey, problem! Genesis 1:1, John 1:1! You will never be bigger than the Beginning. Before you were, God is! And, because God started it all when “all” and you didn’t exist, there’s nothing you can do to get a head start on our Big God. He will always be ahead of you, outmaneuvering you. That’s how BIG our God is!

2. The Earth is God’s footstool.

Hey, problem! Isaiah 66:1! Have you seen the size of the Earth? Can you measure its width and breadth? Well, this large planet is where God rests His feet. No, not His whole body, the Earth couldn’t handle that – just His feet. That’s how BIG our God is!

3. God sees everything.

Hey, problem! Proverbs 15:3! You can’t escape being noticed by the eyes of God. God’s eyes are everywhere; He saw your formation, your selected strategy, and tactics, and He sees your guaranteed end. That’s how BIG our God is!

4. God answers before we call.

Hey, problem! Isaiah 65:24! Before I opened my mouth to tell God about you, before I shed one tear about you, God already answered me. God even heard the words I couldn’t muster the strength or know-how to say. That’s huge. That’s how BIG our God is!

5. God has numbered the hairs on my head.

Hey, problem! Luke 12:7! Do you know how many individual hairs (or hair follicles) I have on my head? God does. See how much I’m worth? He can call the numbers out for every single one that has fallen since you appeared, and can grow new strands back with their own unique number. That’s how BIG our God is!

6. There is none like God.

Hey, problem! Jeremiah 10:6 and 2 Samuel 7:22! God alone is God (Psalm 86:10). Not you, me, nor my response to you. Besides God, there is no other greater. Comparison is futile. That’s how BIG our God is!

7. God can’t lie.

Hey, problem! Numbers 23:19! God is trustworthy and dependable. So every promise He makes, everything He said He will do shall come to pass without fail. That’s how BIG our God is!

8. God is not petty.

Hey, problem! Romans 5:8! God goes first! He doesn’t require perfection in order to love me, save me, redeem me. He’s that big of a God to give His all first before we even considered Him. If God puts it all on the line for enemies, imagine what He does for His children. That’s how BIG our God is!

9. The name of God is a safe tower.

Hey, problem! Proverbs 18:10! I may be on the run, but I can find safety in the very name of God – pick one! God is my healer, my provider, my strength, my life, my redeemer, my rock, my joy – I can rest confidently in His name. That’s how BIG our God is!

10. In the end, God.

Hey, problem! Revelation 1:8! The same God who is the Beginning is also the End. When it’s all said and done, at the end of the day, God will still be God – and you will be no more. That’s how BIG our God is!

Bonus: We’ve already won!

Hey, problem! 1 John 5:4 and 2 Corinthians 2:14! Between being born of God, which makes us overcomers by default, and Abba always causing us to triumph – do you really think you have a chance?

So, What’s the Play Call?

Meditate on the Word of God, His faithfulness, and His greatness. Never forget who’s in control and who’s in charge of everything that concerns you.

It’s not me, it’s not you, it’s not that problem – it’s our BIG God!

How do YOU tell your problems how big God is?

How to Finish the Race Without Competing With Others

finish the race

One day a few years ago, I decided to go biking with a coworker. I normally go biking by myself, because like running, everyone has a different pace, and if they are not flexible in going either slower or faster than their normal pace, it may not be as enjoyable. As a previous runner, I normally would ask “what’s your pace?”  In which my coworker replied, ”Oh Charlene, don’t worry about that.”

I met her in the parking lot of our employer’s office after work to head over to the trail. For me, biking is something I enjoy doing at a leisure pace, not on a competitive level. I mean, I have moments in my ride where I might push the speed a little but not consistently.

So before we got in our cars to head out, she stepped out of her car to discuss how to get there. She not only had a new bike with a lot of “bells and whistles”, but she looked the part…biking shorts, biking shirt, and some very cool shades. Me? I had on some workout shorts, a t-shirt, a helmet, and an old bike that I paid $50 for from a thrift store. It was a dirt bike, worked well, and hey, a good starter bike after not riding a bike in YEARS.

Finish the Race With Grace

run the race with enduranceI had my bike ‘thrown’ in the back of my SUV; she had an expensive bike rack. I didn’t have on bike gloves but she did, so when we got out of our cars after arriving at the bike trail, I was a little intimidated but still willing and able to make this trip enjoyable.

So we’re off! She starts “gunning it’ right out of the parking lot….10MPH…and me? About 5MPH. I’m wanting to look around because this is my first time being on the trail AND I’m a leisure kind of rider. I like to take it slow for the most part and switch gears to accommodate the hills. She was riding fast and after noticing that I was not behind her, she slowed down and waited on me to get to where she was. She felt bad for leaving me but I was fine. I told her, ”Don’t worry about me, I’m going at a slower pace, but we both will arrive eventually which is the most important thing.

And we DID! And, at that moment God spoke to my spirit and said, ”There are a lot of people in competition with others when the only competition they should be in is with THEMSELVES. If the desire is to be a better version of you, outrun the old you towards a better you.”

So, What’s The Play Call?

Here are a few points to remember as you finish the race strong:

  • The fancy biking outfit was cool, but so was my not-so-fancy outfit because it didn’t affect the outcome which was to finish the ride.
  • A couple of scriptures for your journey:
    • I have seen something else under the sun: The race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong, nor does food come to the wise or wealth to the brilliant or favor to the learned; but time and chance happen to them all. Ecclesiastes 9:11 NIV
    • However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace. Acts 20:24 NIV
    • Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else, for each one should carry their own load. Galatians 6:4-5

Cloudy Vision? Here are 4 Ways to Let God Clear Your Vision

vision

I wear glasses. No, I stand corrected, my glasses wear me. Lol. I’ve been wearing specs since the third grade. People constantly ask me if I really need them, mainly because I have so many pairs and it seems as if I only wear them because they’re cute.

My response is always “if you see me without them, please stop me and ask questions to see if I’m okay.” Seriously though… ask me if I’m okay. Anyhoo, I need my glasses. And they’re not just for reading or driving, I have to wear them all day. I’m so used to my glasses, in fact, that sometimes I don’t notice when they are dirty. Filthy to the point that others can see the lonely fingerprint, and I can’t. It’s terrible, I know, and they get so cloudy that when I finally clean them, it’s like the sky opens and the sun shines through.

My nephew is the same way, and my sister hates it. She can’t figure out how in the world we can’t see the dirt behind the lenses we are wearing when she can see the dirt on her own. I had to explain to her that she only wears her glasses for certain parts of the day, so her eyes aren’t as adjusted as ours.

New Vision, New Sight 

Psychology 101Well, recently, I got a new pair of glasses. I don’t know what they put in their anti-reflective coating recipe, but I can see every little smudge. I get annoyed and constantly clean my glasses throughout the day. Now I see what my sister had seen all along. Nothing has changed, my lenses don’t get any grimier than before, I just notice it now.

Here’s the thing, I can’t go on the way I did before. I must fix the problem in order to be comfortable. I’m literally seeing things through a different lens.

See What God Sees

So often, others can see the “dirt” on our lenses long before we do. And I’m not talking about those that gossip, are nosy or those that help keep you behind those filthy lenses. I’m referring to those God sends that keep you lifted in prayer and genuinely want you to see clearer. Sometimes it only takes for them to gently remind you to ‘wipe ‘em off’, and sometimes, we need to have some things replaced in our lives.

Oh, another thing, no matter who they are and how supportive, everyone won’t always understand why it took you so long to clean your life up. Have you ever had a tongue-lashing from your circle of trusted friends who show how much they care but also prove how little they understand your process? Please know that God won’t leave you with dirty lenses, but He will help you and send others to help you see clearly.

So, What’s the Play Call?

It can be difficult to see the smudges on your own lenses, even though you are right behind them. Know that God sees what you don’t, and He has a plan to get your vision all cleared up. Here are a few things to keep in mind when your lenses are cloudy, and you can’t see the dirt:

  1. Keep your eyes fixed on God’s will. Yep, even though we can get into some sticky situations, if we make Jesus our center, He will improve our vision every time. “So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.” 2 Corinthians 4:2
  2. Ask God to show you who is sent to help you. God has people in place who will help you recognize that you aren’t seeing clearly. Even in the midst of your circumstances, ask Him to reveal them to you. “Brethren, if a man is overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such a one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.” Galatians 6:1
  3. It’s not too late to be renewed. See, if I hadn’t needed an updated prescription and ordered new glasses, I may still be in the same predicament, walking around with filthy lenses. It was time. Go ahead and update your prescription, through God’s word. “Create in me a clean heart, O God; And renew a right spirit within me.” Psalms 51:10
  4. Pray to God for keen hearing. I know we’re talking about sight, but hearing and seeing work hand in hand. My sister would always try to tell me when my glasses needed to be cleaned, but I wouldn’t listen. She could see when I could not; I needed to be open to hearing her in order to change. “He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.” Matthew 11:15

Just as I can now tell when my lenses need a good cleaning, God will help you to see when your vision is cloudy. Trust Him when He shows you the way.

 

Promise Keepers Tried to End Racism 25 Years Ago. It Almost Worked.

promise keepers

R

andy Phillips didn’t want to watch the video of a Black man being killed by police, but his son asked if he had.

“No,” Phillips said, “but I’ve read a bunch of articles.”

He knew the details—both of this specific deadly encounter between Derek Chauvin and George Floyd and the larger context of racial division in America. He knew too the history of Christian efforts to combat racism and bring about reconciliation. He had, in fact, been president of Promise Keepers 25 years before, when the leadership decided that racial reconciliation would be its No. 1 priority and then the men’s ministry almost immediately started to flounder.

“Honestly, son, I’m not going to watch it,” he said. “It’s just too painful.”

“Dad,” said Tim Phillips. “You need to feel it.”

When Phillips watched the video, he was overwhelmed by the pain of Floyd’s slow death. He felt the Holy Spirit show him a tornado over Chauvin’s head, as if the police officer were the pinpoint of the destructive, swirling evil as it touched down. And he wondered: If he had let God change him 25 or 26 years ago, and let God shift Promise Keepers the way it was supposed to shift, maybe none of this would have happened.

America could have been different. God could have used Promise Keepers to reconcile Floyd and Chauvin and help Chauvin see Floyd how God saw him—as someone so deeply and impossibly loved that God would send his only Son to die just for him.

Promise Keepers was, after all, the largest movement in modern America pushing white people to reckon with racism and the most significant since the civil rights marches resulted in legislation, assassination, …

Continue reading

Knotted Up: Your Best Move When Life’s Got You Tangled

acknowledge him

knotted upMy six-year-old daughter loves helping out. She’s quite the big helper. And, although I could get the job done in half the time it takes for her to do it, or for she and I to do it together, I allow her to help because I’m training her to be capable of caring for herself.

This particular day, I was in the process of making lunch when she bounced into the kitchen acting like she was starving. She lit up when she saw I was preparing lunch. “Mom, I can make my own sandwich,” she said. I lifted my eyes unto the hills from which comes my help (also known as rolling them), and breathed in a fix your attitude, Brandi breath. I then put on my best smile and turned around with an enthusiastic “You got it!” She flashed me a big, toothless grin and thumbs up. Gotta love a child’s heart.

A minute or so passes, and I can hear her huffing and puffing. In that knowing, motherly tone I ask, “You need any help?”

“I. Can’t. Get. This. Bag. Open.”

“Bring it here.”

What was once a nice, neat knot was now so tight that it looked like one little ball.

Sidebar: Why wasn’t the bag closed with a tie, you ask? One word. Husband. He opens the bag, takes out his bread, forgets where he put the tie just 10 seconds ago, and proceeds to tie a knot. These are facts you must know before marriage, ladies. Watch him make a sandwich before saying, “I do.” Just saying.

Back to this impenetrable knot…

“Sweetie Pieeeee,” I say while scratching the protruding vein in my forehead, “if there’s a knot, bring it to me so I can help you.”

After some laser focus, I managed to undo the knot, turning her frown into a huge smile. You haven’t seen a smile as big as my daughter’s, I promise. As she danced back over to her sandwich-making station, I laugh to myself as I often do when I feel God looking at me with a smirk and one eyebrow raised, asking my heart if I had learned the lesson.

I had.

Become as Little Children

childrenMy daughter’s struggle with that knot was not unlike my daily struggles. Her huffing and puffing was an undeniable reflection of her mom’s deep sighs and murmuring. The knot represented all the obstacles I thought I was strong and wise enough to face on my own. The impenetrable knot was a glaring reminder of all the messes I had made because I chose to struggle in my own strength versus consult God.

Sure, God can be my Mr. Fix It, cleaning up after my mistakes, if that’s what I want Him to be. But, He’d much rather be my Consultant, my Guide, advising me before the mistake is made. Yes, God will use all things for our benefit, even our biggest mistakes. But, wouldn’t you rather avoid the mistake altogether?

Can you imagine the time we’d save if we acknowledged God in all things? Things that look easy or right in the moment, don’t always turn out to be that way down the road. Proverbs 3: 5-6 says,

Trust the Lord completely, and don’t depend on your own knowledge.  With every step you take, think about what He wants, and He will help you go the right way.

Before you lift your foot and plant it again – versus after you take the step and realize it was the wrong one – think about what God wants.

Before you buy that dream house, think about what God wants. Before you relocate, think about what God wants. Before you have that conversation, think about what God wants and He will help you go the right way.

The next time my daughter helped me prepare lunch, the bread bag was indeed tied with a knot (my husband tries not to disappoint). But, this time, she saw the knot and headed over to Mom. My heart swelled with pride, and this time I was the one looking up with a smirk and raised eyebrow because I know His heart was even bigger than mine. I showed her how to carefully untie the knot and she did it beautifully.

Just as my sweet girl applied what I taught her only days before, I pray that you and I will quickly apply God’s principles to all the knots in our lives.

So, what’s the play call?

Do you have a decision to make that you’ve forgotten to seek God about? Stop what you’re doing and ask Him what He thinks. And, obey His answer. It may not feel good at the moment, but trust that He can see further down the road than you can. He has better plans for your life than you could ever imagine, and will never lead you in the wrong direction.

STAY CONNECTED

6,517FansLike
2,584FollowersFollow
2,238FollowersFollow

POPULAR ARTICLES