To prefer righteousness

"With all eternity hanging in the balance, we fight the fight of faith. Our chief enemy is the Lie that says sin will make our future happier. Our chief weapon is the Truth that says God will make our future happier. And faith is the victory that overcomes the lie, because faith is satisfied with God. The challenge before us then is not merely to do what God says because He is God, but to desire what God says because he is good. The challenge is not merely to pursue righteousness, but to prefer righteousness. The challenge is to get up in the morning and prayerfully meditate on the Scriptures until we experience joy and peace in believing "the precious and very great promises" of God (Rom. 15:13; 2 Peter 1:4). With this joy set before us the commandments of God will not be burdensome (1 John 5:3) and the compensation of sin will appear too brief and too shallow to lure us." - John Piper

Thinking out loud for a few moments...
I've been meditating lately on raising kids that grow into mature believers; kids that grow to love and serve the Lord our God with all their heart, mind, soul, and strength. It started with this article, and then this one, food for thought, but not with answers that wholly satisfy. And then of course, there are mysteries we struggle with, knowing kids that grow to young adults and struggle in their walk, that perhaps turn away from the Lord though we know their parents sincerely sought to raise them up in the nurture and admonition, "the discipline and instruction" (Eph 6:4), of the Lord. I know that the temptation of the world is strong, even for those of us with feet solidly grounded in His truth. I know that deception comes quickly, cunningly.

So knowing that there is no magic potion for growing up kids,
that there's no one foolproof formula for success,
I am thankful that, indeed, we are given these children with a manual and guide, Scripture itself.

The Piper quote reminds me, yet again, how to pray for my children-
that they would have faith that is fully satisfied with God;
that they would "abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit" (Rom 15:13);
that they would "escape the corruption that is in the world" (2Peter 1:4);
that His commandments would not be burdensome (1John 5:3), but rather,
that they would delight themselves in the Lord and commit their way to Him (Ps 37:4-5).

And, it reminds me of my own plea, as I confess my own sin and come humbly before the Lord, which, really, is exactly the same-
that I would not provoke my children to anger (Eph. 6:4);
that I would, too, be fully satified with God,
that as a response of joy to the salvation He offers, we would all prefer righteousness.

...think about such things

One of the first and most enduring lessons on parenting I learned before I had ever birthed a child myself. As members of a bible study that met in the chaplain's home each week, we had a Friday evening front row seat to how he and his wife interacted with, disciplined, and discipled, their children. One evening we joined the conversation in progress. The issue? whether or not to buy the latest in video games. Finally, in response to his son's appeal, "but there's nothing wrong with it," the dad replied, "but what is right with it?"

What is right with it? Because, you know, there are a lot of things that aren't exactly wrong. But then, they aren't exactly right, either. That question, taken from the standard Paul sets in Philippians 4:8-9, has stuck with us ever since, and has been a benchmark as we parent our own kids, even today, nearly 19 years later. This article from Shepherd Press reinforces the same idea, and is worth the reminder.

Unconsciously to Herself

"She is the first model of character they witness; the first exhibitions of right and wrong in practice are what they see in her. They are the constant observers of the passions, graces, virtues, and faults which are shown in her words, temper, and actions. She is therefore, unconsciously to herself, educating them not only by designed teaching, but by all she does or says in their presence." ~~ Female Piety, John Angell James

Mother and Child by Pablo Picasso

Promises of the Covenant

It has been a hard parenting week. I'm sure my kids would tell you that it has also been a hard week to be a child. This post from Carolyn Mahaney at Girl Talk is balm to my soul today.

Be encouraged!

When they are too old to spank...

Sin reared its very ugly head in my kitchen this morning and two children, that shall remain unnamed, were THIS close to a fist fight.

Like a school playground monitor, I separated them and sent each to his or her respective room to calm down. Perhaps that was also to give time for ME to calm down...

I was thankful that each returned, repentent and seeking forgiveness from the other. The punitive effects?
Each had to search Proverbs and write 20 verses on the fool or the hot-tempered man.

Oh that they had such a heart in them, that they would fear Me, and keep all My commandments always, that it may be well with them, and with their sons forever!
Deuteronomy 5:29

(photo credit to circlesandsquares at etsy.com, though I don't really recommend it as a t-shirt message...)

An Account of What is Past

In the March 28th issue of World magazine, Janie B. Cheaney has a great piece entitled Boastful Dunces: Post-literate college students reveal a 'resentful incapacity'. She brings attention to the challenge of Thomas Bertonneau, literature professor at SUNY-Oswego, to education modern college students through his Western Heritage course. His goal is to introduce the students to the importance of knowing the "foundations of their civilization."

"In spite of his repeated lecture points and cheat sheets, they confuse historical events...Their test-taking training in high school taught them to take note of dates but not to make sense of how they use them. Though saturated with movies and TV, they lack a basic notion of cause-and-effect and logical consequence basic to stories."

This is taken from the introduction in Streams of Civilizations by Mary Stanton and Albert Hyman, a history textbook published by Christian Liberty Press...

"Every student at some time has asked the question: 'Why is it important to study history? What difference can it make to me what a lot of people did thousands of years ago?'

History is important because it is the story of people, how they came into existence and what they did. People have always faced the same problems of food, shelter, social organization, political structure, and religious expression. By exploring the streams of civilization throughout time, we will have a better understanding of how the world came to be the way it is today. It will also help us to understand better the events that are happening today and the decisions being made that will change the future."

Through reading these great works in literature like Homer's Odyssey, Virgil's Aeneid, and Dicken's Tale of Two Cities, it is as though we are given windows framing respective chapters in history. Through these windows we can get a clearer picture of what we are looking at and of what we are ultimately a part of even today--HIS Story.

"To everything there is a season,

a time for every purpose

under heaven:

A time to be born, and a time to die;

A time to plant, and a time to pluck what is planted;

A time to kill, and a time to heal;

A time to break down, and a time to build up;

A time to weep, and a time to laugh;

A time to mourn, and a time to dance;

A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones;

A time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

A time to gain, and a time to lose;

A time to keep, and a time to throw away;

A time to tear, and a time to sew;

A time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

A time to love, and a time to hate;

A time of war, and a time of peace...

What profit has the worker from that in which he labors? I have seen the God-given task with which the sons of men are to be occupied.

He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end. I know that nothing is better for them than to rejoice, and to do good in their lives, and also that evey man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labor--it is a gift of God.

I know that whatever God does, it shall be forever. Nothing can be taken from it. God does it, that men should fear before Him. That which is has already been; and God requires an account of what is past." Ecclesiastes 3:1-15

Like a Flint

God's Help for God's Assignment

a devotion by Elisabeth Elliot

Sometimes a task we have begun takes on seemingly crushing size, and we wonder what ever gave us the notion that we could accomplish it. There is no way out, no way around it, and yet we cannot contemplate actually carrying it through. The rearing of children or the writing of a book are illustrations that come to mind. Let us recall that the task is a divinely appointed one, and divine aid is therefore to be expected. Expect it! Ask for it, wait for it, believe that God gives it. Offer to Him the job itself, along with your fears and misgivings about it. He will not fail or be discouraged. Let his courage encourage you. The day will come when the task will be finished. Trust Him for it.

"For the Lord God will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded, therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed" (Is 50:7 AV).