Grace

One of my favorite songs is "By Your Side" by Tenth Avenue North.  I especially like the first two lines:

Why are you striving these days?

Why are you trying to earn grace?

Grace by definition can't be earned. It's free - a gift. Grace is unmerited, divine favor bestowed freely upon people by our Savior, Jesus Christ.  One definition of grace I read said, "a favor rendered by one who need not do so; indulgence."  Grace is indeed indulgent.

Why do we experience God's grace? Because God desires us to have it. Purely out of his benevolence. Grace is given by the Creator of our universe generously, freely and totally unexpectedly.

Grace is not given because of any merit on our part. As stated in its definition, grace is not earned; it's undeserved. So called "good works" are what a believer does in response to his salvation - out of gratitude toward his Savior. Grace is not the result of "good works." Quite the opposite is true.


What I love about this song and especially these lines is  the implication that I should not be striving. Instead I should be resting in God's grace and love. Psalm 46:10 says, "Be still, and know that I am God."

"Be still" in the original language translates "cease striving."  It implies that we are to rest in the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.  We are to wait on him as he works in and through us. We are to wait on him to direct our next steps.

And then... only as a result of our resting and waiting will we know through experience (not just head knowledge) whom our God is.

The Mom Initiative

Mothers on a Mission to Mentor Other Mothers

BUT GOD ~ for Motherhood!

By Shelly Brown on Mar 29, 2014 01:30 am


 
I have a confession to make.
 I am not a perfect mom. 

I’ve been too hard on them. I’ve been too lenient. I’ve said things I regret. I’ve gotten angry and I’ve yelled. I’ve said “yes” when I should have said, “no” and I’ve said, “no,” when I should have said, “yes.”

I’ve cleaned up their messes when they should have cleaned it up themselves. I’ve played the mom guilt card, though it rarely worked. I’ve bailed them out when they should have learned the hard way. They’ve learned the hard way when I should have bailed them out. I’ve indulged them at times when they should have been denied and denied them at times when it was okay for them to be indulged.
BUT in the midst of my imperfection, in praise, I shout these words from the mountain top of motherhood:

BUT GOD!

Simply, two of the most powerful words in Scripture!
BUT GOD remembered Noah…BUT GOD is the strength of my heart … BUT with GOD all things are possible … BUT GOD gives grace to the lowly … BUT GOD meant it for good… BUT GOD raised Him from the dead …

And, perhaps one of my favorites, “BUT GOD who is rich in mercy …”  

Mercy means, NOT getting what you deserve. Think of it this way … If you’ve ever been pulled over for speeding and the nice police officer lets you go with a simple warning, he showed you mercy. You didn’t get what you deserved: a $250 speeding ticket!

But God, who is rich in mercy … will hear the repentant and faithful prayers of His daughters. So no matter how imperfect a mom you or I may have been … repent of your failures, and then let it go!
Trust God to restore and redeem. After all, it is what He does best! And pray! Pray for your children like there is no tomorrow! Pray specifically for them to own their own faith. From their earliest years, and as they grew, their faith was our faith. We taught them, and they mimicked our beliefs. But, at some point, it must become their own, genuine faith.

I’ve shared this here in a prior post, but it’s worth repeating …  
My friend, Karen Jantzi once shared in a radio interview how she prays for “crop failure” in her children’s lives. Now, I make that a common prayer as I pray for my children. I pray that the defective seeds that were sown into their lives would not take root, and if they have taken root, that God would allow for crop failure causing the bad crops to wither and die.
The truth is … Only God could love our kids more than us. Only God could want them to walk in Truth more than us. Only God can draw them to Himself. Only God is so rich in mercy and love, that we can trust Him with the most precious part of our lives … our children.

“But God” verses: Genesis 8:1, Psalm 73:26, Matthew 19:26, Proverbs 3:34, Genesis 50:20, Acts 2:24, Ephesians 2:4

 WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE “BUT GOD” VERSES? HAS THIS ENCOURAGED YOU TODAY IN YOUR MOM JOURNEY?

Praying for My Husband

A while back my brother sent me this post about how to pray effectively for my husband.  I love the author's honesty.  I printed out the article and keep it in my Bible. This summer I've prayed through the list for Brad.  I love that I can choose one to two topics per day and pray specifically.

It was dinner time and I stood in the kitchen cutting up vegetables for a salad. Feeling bone weary, I prayed in my heart, “God, please bring my husband home from work on time tonight.” I stood in front of the sink to rinse off a cucumber and heard a loud crash coming from my boy’s room, followed by the sound of crying. Sighing, I turned off the water and headed for their room, still praying that my husband would hurry home.

Not too long ago, I realized that most of my prayers for my husband centered on me and my needs. They stemmed more from my selfishness.  I prayed he would come home on time, prayed he would get the bonus we hoped for, and prayed he would watch the kids so I could sleep in. I even prayed that God would change all the things that frustrated me about him. No doubt, my prayers for my husband were seriously lacking.

It was in reading Paul’s prayers to the churches in Ephesus, Colossians and Philippi where I learned the heart of prayer. Paul’s prayers centered on the spiritual growth of the people he was writing to.  For example, “I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe” (Ephesians 1:17-19). Paul essentially prayed through the gospel. He prayed for the power of the gospel to change and transform the believers he wrote to. While Paul certainly prayed for God’s provision and for other practical needs, the core and foundation of his prayers for others centered on their walk with Christ.

I want to pray for my husband the way Paul prayed for the New Testament churches. And indeed, sometimes I actually pray through the prayers of Paul. But I also want the gospel to be the foundation of all my prayers, including those of my own design. I want to pray for the gospel to be at work in my husband’s heart each day. I want to pray for the gospel to be the lens through which he views all of life. And I want him to be strengthened and empowered by the truths of gospel as he lives out God’s calling for him.

Praying for the gospel to be at work in my husband’s heart and life is transforming, not only for him, but for me as well. I learn to let go of trying to change things about my husband and trust in God to do the changing He desires. Focusing on the gospel in my prayers changes the posture of my heart from relying on my strength to resting in the power of God’s grace. As I pray for the gospel to be at work in my husband’s heart, I am also reminded of how much I too need the gospel each and every day. It also reminds me that all of life is a gift of grace and that prayer is the entrance into receiving that grace.
In an effort to focus on the power of God’s grace to be at work in my husband, I came up with a list of suggested topics to pray through, one for each day of the month:

1. Pray for him to apply the gospel to his life each day.
2. Pray for him to grow deeper in faith.
3. Pray for him to trust in God during times of uncertainty.
4. Pray for him to love God above all other things.
5. Pray for a passion for God’s Word.
6. Pray that God would reveal to him the idols in his heart.
7. Pray for a greater awareness of sin and of his forgiveness through Christ.
8. Pray for a desire to serve God by helping those who need the love of Christ.
9. Pray for him to be a witness in his place of work.
10. Pray for him to forgive others just as he has been forgiven.
11. Pray for him to resist temptations that arise in his workplace.
12. Pray for a desire to be a godly spiritual leader.
13. Pray for him to honor God in his use of money.
14. Pray for him to honor God in his use of time.
15. Pray for him to honor God in his speech.
16. Pray for growth in his prayer life.
17. Pray for the fruits of the Spirit to grow in him.
18. Pray that God would protect his mind and heart from evil.
19. Pay that God would use him in the advancement of the Kingdom.
20. Pray for his friendships, that God would help him to develop and keep godly friendships that encourage him in the gospel.
21. Pray that he would have a growing desire to show God’s love and grace to the children.
22. Pray that he would live each day as if it were his last, to God’s glory.
23. Pray for your marriage, that you and he would grow closer to each other.
24. Pray that your marriage would reflect the love of Christ with the church.
25. Pray that Christ would be the center of your relationship.
26. Pray that the two of you would be united in parenting.
27. Pray for opportunities to serve the Kingdom together as a couple.
28. Pray for opportunities for you to be an encouragement to your husband.
29. Pray for greater grace and understanding between the two of you.
30. Pray for greater communication between the two of you.
31. Pray for your own heart, that you would love, honor, and respect him.         

 By Christina Fox

Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.  And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart.  You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.  You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. Deuteronomy 6:4-9

Translation by Kathleen Chapman: 
Bombard your kids with stories and teachings about God and His Word! Do it any way you can, but make it exciting, powerful and constant! Talk about God first thing in the morning. Write His names on the kitchen wall or ceiling! Talk about God on the way to school. Play Christian music in the car. Put notes in their lunch boxes reminding them of God's love. Pray over homework. Pray before every meal. Pray to this wonderful God before they go to bed at night. Make Him as much a part of their existence as eating and sleeping. Make them so in awe of God that they want to nominate Him for a Pulitzer! Help your children to know and adore God.

Reading God's Word

Are you struggling with spending time in God's Word daily?  This blog post by Doorposts of Your House gives wise advice to evaluate your need and set a goal to spend time in God's Word daily.

Establishing the Habit of Reading God’s Word

Posted on February 21, 2013 by Pam

We need to be in God’s Word. His Word is food. His Word nourishes us.

If we’re moms, we know all about the need to eat. Sometimes it feels like we spend almost all day planning meals, shopping for meals, cooking meals, serving meals, and cleaning up after meals. Our husbands and children need to eat. Without food, they would become weak and unhealthy, and eventually die.
Without nourishment from God’s Word, we will be spiritually weak and unhealthy.
Many of us really want to read the Bible but struggle with actually doing it. We know we should read it. We know God speaks to us through His Word. We commit and re-commit to reading our Bibles each day, and then we find ourselves not doing it again.
If you struggle with making the time to spend in God’s Word, you may need to stop and evaluate. What is making it difficult?

• Maybe you don’t have a plan for how to go about reading your Bible. You haven’t decided how or when or where you will read, so it just doesn’t happen.

• Maybe you have unrealistic expectations. You might set big goals and then give up when you can’t accomplish them.

• Maybe you just don’t understand what you’re reading, and as a result, you become frustrated or bored and quit.

• Maybe you don’t know how to study the Bible, so your mind wanders to other things as you read.

If you really want to read the Bible, but keep finding yourself not doing it, take some time to prayerfully consider what you can do to actually establish the habit. Take out a pen and a sheet of paper and answer the following questions. (Pray for the Lord’s guidance and wisdom, and ask for counsel and ideas from others.)

• Why do I want or need to read the Bible? (What is my motivation? What is at stake? What is likely to happen if I don’t?)

• What is keeping me from reading the Bible? (Again, be specific!)

• What will I do in order to read the Bible on a regular basis? (What can I do to overcome or remove the obstacles?)

If you need some ideas, especially on ways to deal with the challenges that are discouraging you from reading, go here. Add to your answers any appropriate ideas from this list.

Then use your answers to these questions to help you write down a very specific plan of action. Keep goals small and realistic, but specific enough to be measurable. In other words, write down goals that will be easy for you tell whether you have accomplished them or not. Think about what you will read, when you will read, where you will read, and how you will read your Bible.
Here are some examples:

• I will read the New Testament for at least 5 minutes on at least 5 days of the week, and text (a friend’s name) after I have finished each day.

• I will start reading through the Psalms, and I will leave the computer off each day until I have read for 15 minutes.

• I will purchase Carol Ruvolo’s Grace to Stand Firm, Grace to Grow: Light from 1 and 2 Peter, and complete one chapter of the study every week, working on it for at least 15 minutes, 4 evenings a week after the children are in bed. I will also find out if (a friend’s name) would also like to do the study, and ask her to help hold me accountable.

• I will keep my Bible and other study materials in a basket next to the rocking chair, and read through the book of John while I nurse the baby at night.

• I will download an audio version of the Old Testament onto my phone, and listen to it each morning as I get dressed and prepare for the day.

• I will read through all the Gospels by the end of the year, reading one half of a chapter every day at the lunch table with the children.

• I will pray each time before I start to read, asking the Holy Spirit to help me understand what I read, and I will ask my pastor to recommend a good commentary that I can read along with my Bible reading.

• I will commit five minutes a day, five days a week in March, to complete the studies on Psalm 37 on this blog, and I will share what I am learning each day with my children at the lunch table. (A good, friendly place to start if you’re trying to establish a new habit of studying the Bible! We start on March 1!)

Share your goal with someone else. That will help you commit to it. Pray for God’s help, and be ready to be blessed as God speaks to you through His Word!
Join us starting Friday, March 1, for “31 Days in Psalm 37 for Busy Mamas”.  Five minutes a day x 31 days = over 2-1/2 hours studying one chapter of the Bible!