Have you ever stopped to think how lucrative the exercise equipment business is? Buff guys on television "paid programming" make the latest, greatest, "get rock hard abs like mine" machine look so effortless. It's easy to morph into a fit body with sculpted muscles in just a few minutes a day - more like a quick look at the machine - if we can believe the advertising pitch! And it's crazy how many people do believe! We hope that if we have that miracle-working piece of equipment, we will somehow develop the self-discipline it will take to actually use it consistently so that we become fit, like the guy in the ad, without breaking a sweat, and in just a few short sessions.
So we fork over 4 easy payments of $99.99 plus shipping and handling. When it arrives, we unpack the box with determination, place the "thing" in front of the television, put on our newly purchased work-out gear (it is, after all, all about the look), and begin to exercise, only to discover that the guy on the ad lied. The machine is NOT easy and the effort required to make it work is HUGE! It doesn't take long for our resolve to dissolve and for the equipment to end up in the storage room along with all the other exercise stuff we've accumulated and rejected.
I wonder if we sometimes assume that becoming a mature Christian is supposed to come without extreme effort, personal sacrifice, and self-discipline. Once we accept Christ as our Savior, the training begins, and it doesn't end until we stand before the Lord, face to face. What is absolutely encouraging is that we have all we need (Phil. 4:19) to develop into "buff Christians." God has given us faith, and he's promised to provide the strength we need to grow in him and to become who he created us to be (Phil. 4:13). He's given us a complete training manual, the Bible, an example to follow, Jesus, and a personal trainer, the Holy Spirit.
Romans 5:1-5 is an interesting explanation of the kind of "circuit training" we can expect once we sign on for God's "Devoted Follower's Boot Camp." We discover that first we have entered into relationship with him through faith (Romans 5:1-2). It's this faith that allows us to believe and receive the grace of God and the gift of salvation. It's small faith (maybe the size of a mustard seed - Matthew 17:20), but like muscle and cardio-vascular capacity, it has growth potential!
Along with this faith, we have hope that, as a result of our salvation, we will know God's glory. Hope goes hand-in-hand with faith (Hebrews 11:1); therefore, hope has room to grow too. But just as muscles and lung capacity don't increase and strengthen by just wishing it so, faith and hope have to be pushed, stretched, and exercised to build endurance.
God's "training routine" requires that we know "tribulation" (Romans 5:3). But, it's the tribulation that develops patience in us. If we exercise our faith and hope during the tough times, if we stay focused and committed and draw our strength to endure from God, we come out stronger. That strength translates into a "chiseled, Christlike physique," which produces in us the will to keep on following after Christ, doing whatever it takes to become like him.
The "circuit training" God designs for us follows this pattern - faith to accept salvation, hope for a glorious future with him, tribulation to develop patience, patience to produce experience, and experience that results in more hope (Romans 5:3-5)!
Romans 8:25 says, "But if we hope for that which we see not, then do we with patience wait for it." We don't begin our training looking like the physically fit pitch-men in the advertisements, but we do hope that if we are patient (and patience doesn't always mean inactivity) and keep our eyes on the goal, we can develop the fitness God desires for us.
As we gain endurance, we have the experience to encourage us on to the next level. God wants us to graduate from his "boot camp" fully developed so that on the day that we stand before him, he can say, "Well done! You've run a good race" (I Corinthians 9:24; Hebrews 12:1)!
Lord, you know that we need to be pushed to develop into who you intend for us to be. You start our "training" gently, but you know for us to run the race to the finish, we will need more rigor! Thank you for providing all we need to be successful as we mature in our walk with you.
Showing posts with label dedication. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dedication. Show all posts
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Friday, October 23, 2009
Parenting - Giving Your Children Away
If you're the parent of a 13-year old or a teenager, you may have had days where giving him or her away seemed like a really good idea! It's a lovely age, but thankfully, almost all of us have lived through it - as a kid and as a parent! Seriously, though, most of us couldn't imagine giving our children away. It's hard enough when they leave home for college. Yet, the Bible tells a story of a woman who gave her child away before he was ever born. It's the story of Hannah, Samuel's mom.
Hannah was the second wife of Elkanah, and she had no children. The first wife had kids, and she wasn't exactly empathetic with Hannah's sorrow; in fact, she was mean. Elkanah loved Hannah and favored her. He didn't seem the least bit upset that she hadn't produced progeny. But, Hannah wanted a baby so much so that when the family made their annual trip to the house of the Lord, she "wept bitterly" before the Lord, promising if God would give her a son that she would give him back, as soon as he was weaned, to serve God all the days of his life. Eli the priest saw her praying and accused her of being drunk. When she set him straight and explained her "complaint" before the Lord, Eli sent her away with these words, "...and the God of Israel grant thee thy petition...." Hannah ceased from her grieving, she ate, and her countenance was no longer sad (I Samuel 1:18). Her actions imply that she had faith that God would answer her prayer.
Sure enough, Hannah had a son, Samuel, and she kept her part of the bargain. As soon as Samuel was weaned, Hannah put together all the makings for a great offering to the Lord, packed up Samuel, and headed to the temple and Eli, the priest. They worshiped the Lord, and she left her son to serve God all his life.
Okay, really, how many of us could leave behind our toddler to be raised by a stranger? But Hannah's prayer to the Lord as she's leaving Samuel behind is amazing! She was rejoicing:
Every year, Hannah would make the journey with the family and take Samuel a new coat, and no where is there any indication that she ever regretted or wanted to break her covenant, and God, in His beautiful way, honored Hannah by giving her five more children.
Samuel had a calling on his life. From before his birth, he was dedicated to the Lord, and as soon as he was old enough to be separated from his mother, he was "in training" for that moment when God would call him into service.
I Samuel 2 tells how the child Samuel ministered unto the Lord before Eli the priest, that he grew before the Lord, and found favor with both the Lord and men. Interestingly, this was happening while all around him Eli's sons, who were of the priesthood, were dishonoring God and bringing down His judgment on their family.
When the time came for Samuel to fill the purpose for which he had been called, he was ready.
Most of us dedicate our young children to the Lord, but I wonder if we realize the full importance of that ceremony. I'm not sure I did when we dedicated our girls before the church congregation. I understood it was a solemn and sacred occasion, I knew that I wanted my girls to belong to the Lord, but I am certain I didn't reflect as deeply on the full meaning of my actions.
When Hannah dedicated Samuel to the Lord, she wasn't just giving her child away and placing responsibility for his nurturing on someone else. She invested in the life of her child to ensure that he would be ready to answer when God called and would respond willingly. She remained faithful to her God and to her promise and demonstrated her commitment by placing Samuel where he would learn from a young age how to serve God and how to know His voice. She believed God to do His part.
When we dedicate our children to God, we aren't just saying, "God, here they are. I promise to bring them to church and teach them right from wrong." We are entering a covenant with God to teach them to know Him and how to serve Him, to learn to sense His presence and to know His voice, to understand from an early age that they have a calling on their lives and that at the God-appointed moment, He will call them.
God will do His part; we must do ours. Giving our children away to God may mean giving up our plans and purposes. It certainly requires that we choose to live our lives sacrificially and according to God's Word because we are the stewards of the children we have dedicated into His service.
Heavenly Father, parenting is a sacred calling, and when we stop to think about the full weight of the responsibility, it's a little frightening. But, You are our example, your Word is our standard, and your Holy Spirit is our teacher and guide. You don't call us without equipping us for service.
As we dedicate our children to You, we want to dedicate ourselves as well and be willing to be sacrificial in serving our children. Let us be like You.
We pray these things, in your name. Amen.
Hannah was the second wife of Elkanah, and she had no children. The first wife had kids, and she wasn't exactly empathetic with Hannah's sorrow; in fact, she was mean. Elkanah loved Hannah and favored her. He didn't seem the least bit upset that she hadn't produced progeny. But, Hannah wanted a baby so much so that when the family made their annual trip to the house of the Lord, she "wept bitterly" before the Lord, promising if God would give her a son that she would give him back, as soon as he was weaned, to serve God all the days of his life. Eli the priest saw her praying and accused her of being drunk. When she set him straight and explained her "complaint" before the Lord, Eli sent her away with these words, "...and the God of Israel grant thee thy petition...." Hannah ceased from her grieving, she ate, and her countenance was no longer sad (I Samuel 1:18). Her actions imply that she had faith that God would answer her prayer.
Sure enough, Hannah had a son, Samuel, and she kept her part of the bargain. As soon as Samuel was weaned, Hannah put together all the makings for a great offering to the Lord, packed up Samuel, and headed to the temple and Eli, the priest. They worshiped the Lord, and she left her son to serve God all his life.
Okay, really, how many of us could leave behind our toddler to be raised by a stranger? But Hannah's prayer to the Lord as she's leaving Samuel behind is amazing! She was rejoicing:
Every year, Hannah would make the journey with the family and take Samuel a new coat, and no where is there any indication that she ever regretted or wanted to break her covenant, and God, in His beautiful way, honored Hannah by giving her five more children.
Samuel had a calling on his life. From before his birth, he was dedicated to the Lord, and as soon as he was old enough to be separated from his mother, he was "in training" for that moment when God would call him into service.
I Samuel 2 tells how the child Samuel ministered unto the Lord before Eli the priest, that he grew before the Lord, and found favor with both the Lord and men. Interestingly, this was happening while all around him Eli's sons, who were of the priesthood, were dishonoring God and bringing down His judgment on their family.
When the time came for Samuel to fill the purpose for which he had been called, he was ready.
Most of us dedicate our young children to the Lord, but I wonder if we realize the full importance of that ceremony. I'm not sure I did when we dedicated our girls before the church congregation. I understood it was a solemn and sacred occasion, I knew that I wanted my girls to belong to the Lord, but I am certain I didn't reflect as deeply on the full meaning of my actions.
When Hannah dedicated Samuel to the Lord, she wasn't just giving her child away and placing responsibility for his nurturing on someone else. She invested in the life of her child to ensure that he would be ready to answer when God called and would respond willingly. She remained faithful to her God and to her promise and demonstrated her commitment by placing Samuel where he would learn from a young age how to serve God and how to know His voice. She believed God to do His part.
When we dedicate our children to God, we aren't just saying, "God, here they are. I promise to bring them to church and teach them right from wrong." We are entering a covenant with God to teach them to know Him and how to serve Him, to learn to sense His presence and to know His voice, to understand from an early age that they have a calling on their lives and that at the God-appointed moment, He will call them.
God will do His part; we must do ours. Giving our children away to God may mean giving up our plans and purposes. It certainly requires that we choose to live our lives sacrificially and according to God's Word because we are the stewards of the children we have dedicated into His service.
Heavenly Father, parenting is a sacred calling, and when we stop to think about the full weight of the responsibility, it's a little frightening. But, You are our example, your Word is our standard, and your Holy Spirit is our teacher and guide. You don't call us without equipping us for service.
As we dedicate our children to You, we want to dedicate ourselves as well and be willing to be sacrificial in serving our children. Let us be like You.
We pray these things, in your name. Amen.
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