The Next Generation

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“You shall teach them diligently to your sons 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 up.” – Deuteronomy 6:7

I worry a lot.  I worry about finances.  I worry about my kids safety.  I worry about my family’s health.  I worry about the upcoming election.  I worry about the homeless plight in America.  I worry about the children in 3^rd world countries that haven’t eaten in days.  I worry about the unrighteousness that I see around me each day.  I worry about my ability to raise my children in the light of the Father.  It’s a natural obsession that many of us have – to worry.  There are those that will take the attitude of apathy and turn away from the things that need attention in our lives, and there are those that get up and do something about it.  I want to be the latter, but I often find myself in the mindset of helplessness and being the victim.  Here’s what gets me back up to fight for goodness and righteousness each and every day though – my kid’s need to see God through me.

I have been blessed with an amazing wife, 5 incredible children, a strong, courageous and hard working son-in-law and 2 beautiful Grand Daughters.  When my life is showing weakness, they see it.  They are impacted and will take away from me a perspective that will influence their life.  As the worries pile up and become visible to them, their strength and confidence in solving big problems is deteriorated.  Worry will cause depression, anger, resentment, confusion and self-centeredness.  As I become overwhelmed with situations in life, it is often very easy to draw back into the area of comfort where I am in control.  This is often a place where I am less concerned about others and focused on myself.  In this place, I have become selfish and apathetic to the concerns of mankind.  That is not who God created me to be.

My children need to see how God works through mankind to take on the biggest problems in the world.  They need to see a father who is strong in faith, courage, hope and peace.  The scriptures give us the wisdom on how to trust in God and to step back and let Him have control.  It takes patience though and as humans, we are not good in that arena.  I am learning to lean into God when I don’t see the pathway through the forest.  I want to follow Him and demonstrate for my children, His strength, fortitude, wisdom and grace in all circumstances.  Numerous times throughout the scripture we are told of God doing amazing miraculous things when mankind would get out of the way and let Him work through them.  I think of Gideon, I think of Samson, I think of King David, I think of Esther, I think of Joseph, I think of Noah, I think of John, Peter and Paul – each faced unbelievable challenges and overcame them, because the trusted in God’s plan and allowed Him to lead.  Example after example is given where the world was against these individuals and they demonstrated the love, strength, courage and wisdom of the Lord enough to endure and press on. 

This same authority is available to each of us today as we take on the problems of today’s world.  We must get to a point when we realize that God is God, He hasn’t changed and wants to use each of us in a mighty way just like He used those mentioned above.  If we can trust that, and believe it to be true, then the problems of this world become much more manageable.  It is when we look at the problems with through our own ability to solve the problems that they are completely overwhelming.  Let your children see upon your face the strength of trusting in God when you are faced with adversity.  In doing so, you are building a foundation for their strength and courage which will be required in their years to come.

             

© Sondove Enterprises, 2012 
For an archive of Daily Thoughts go to: http://www.10minutereader.com

Go and Wash Up

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“They profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him, being detestable and disobedient and worthless for any good deed.” – Titus 1:16

I truly believe my children want to do the right things and want nothing more than to be obedient, honest and trustworthy in my eyes.  But, I must say it is so frustrating when they completely tune us out as their parents because they are engrossed in a game or a video or a book.  We can stand right next to them and say something like, “Okay, time to get ready for bed.” or “Go wash your hands for dinner.” and they don’t move a muscle ore even acknowledge that something was said.  We know they heard us, but our comments are going in one ear and out the other.  Generally this results in either me or my wife getting upset with them for not listening and obeying, and a punishment is normally close at hand.  If they would only listen and follow our instructions so many tears and whining would be prevented.  

Are we any different as adults?  There is this mold of perfection, set by Jesus Christ himself, which is set as the baseline, the benchmark and goal for us to achieve.  The casual observer is going to look at your life, or my life and be quick to point out how unbelievably far you are from representing that perfection.  How quick we are to look at another and point out their shortcomings, highlighting their actions and words that are way outside the lines of what we define as a “Christian”.  The reality is we cannot be perfect, we cannot become self reliant and achieve the reward of heaven on our own.  The acceptance of Christ as our Savior and Lord has secured our place in heaven, only by His grace and mercy, not because of anything we have done.  Not because all of a sudden we are a better person, our problems are gone and our lives become free of temptation.  No, not at all.  As a matter of fact, life becomes more difficult and challenging the more we learn about Christ and are filled by the Holy Spirit.

Within our heart we know right from wrong, we know good from evil and where that line is.  Being of this world though, we are prone to cross that line in our life and dip our toe into the temptations of this world.  In our weakness we are prone to lies, deceit and corruption.  The good news is that our eyes are opened to this unrighteousness and as we become more in tune with the Holy Spirit’s guidance, we are becoming able to thwart the temptations and seek that which is holy and pure.  God’s grace is immeasurable, and sufficient for our iniquities.  As we are disgusting in our actions and deeds, He is all the more forgiving in His pouring out of grace upon us.  No, it is not right to continue seeking the sinful nature of this world.  With the help and guidance of the Holy Spirit this becomes truth in the believers heart, and abhorrent in their own eyes.  God’s grace covers us though, regardless of how many times we fall.  There is no button that is flipped upon salvation that frees you from a life of sin.  It is a daily dependence upon your Savior and trusting in the Holy Spirit to guide your steps that gets you through these times in life.

Just like my children mentioned above, your heavenly Father is telling you to go get washed up.  Don’t be the disobedient child of God and ignore your Father’s calling.  Come to the foot of the cross and be washed clean of your actions each day, and following His guidance from there forward.

             

© Sondove Enterprises, 2012
For an archive of Daily Thoughts go to: http://www.10minutereader.com

Watch Your Step

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“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be prolonged in the land which the Lord your God gives you.” – Exodus 20:12

One of the most quoted scripture verses in the entire Bible.  At one point or another most parents will pull this one from their repertoire of tools when dealing with teen-agers or rebellious children.  It’s conveniently used when trying to convince a child that they should listen to your instructions and do what you say to do.  The problem is that it often times has the complete opposite effect as intended and most times will push the child away from the word of God.  Let’s face it, nobody likes to be told you have to do what I say.  As true as it might be when parenting a child, I’ve learned that the majority of the time a child responds better when they understand the reason why you are asking them to do something.  This extra step help them to realize that it’s more than just a power play from a parent, it is advice and better judgment for a given situation.

Yesterday we took the kids to on a hiking expedition after church.  As we prepared to leave the house, we clearly told the kids to put on pants, socks and boots or shoes – no flip-flops, no sandals.  As we pulled into the first area we were going to go walking, the kids piled out of the car.  One in shorts, one in a skirt and the third wearing high heel sandals.  As we set off on our adventure, little Emma (age 4) in her high heels walked no more than 50 feet before she wanted to be carried.  “But Daddy, I’m wearing high heels, I can’t walk through these trees.”  A teachable moment ensued for both of us.  For me the realization that I should have checked all of their attire before leaving the home and the realization for Emma, that Mom and Dad were right about wearing the tennis shoes or boots. Back in the car we changed Emma into a pair of tennis shoes that just happened to be in the back seat.   Later in the day as we walked through another area, near a horse farm, the kids went running off into the woods to see the horses.  As I came through the clearing toward the pasture, I noticed the overgrowth all around my feet was poison ivy.  The kids, all now wearing tennis shoes and socks and shorts or a skirt, had run right through it all.  Their bare legs had to have come in contact with it.  Another teachable moment.  First, to explain to the children what poison ivy looks like and what will happen if they itch it, and secondly, to advise them to stay close to Mom and Dad so we could have walked a different path and avoided the overgrowth.  Needless to say, everyone was in the bath-tub last night scrubbing with hot water and soap to keep the irritations and infection from spreading.

All through life we are given these examples of teachable moments where the mother and father are given the opportunity to help the next generation learn as they grow.  These experiences when handled properly create more love and trust between a parent and a child than any act of forced authority that we might try to press down upon them.  The Bible is sure to point out that children ought to honor their father and mother not because of an age thing or because of an authoritarian principal, but because God has empowered the parents to raise the child in a God fearing, and loving way.  When this is abused and forced upon the child as  mandate without substance, there is less acceptance and more resentment.  I recommend we are better served to love our children, teach them, and help them understand the reason behind our requests as parents.  In doing so, they will come to realize that Mom and Dad are to be honored, trusted and loved; just the way God intended it to be.

             

© Sondove Enterprises, 2012
For more Daily Thoughts go to: http://sondove.blogspot.com
For an archive of Daily Thoughts go to: http://www.10minutereader.com

Who Is God?

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"“'I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.' Moses trembled with fear and did not dare to look.” ; " 
                                                                                   - Acts 7:32
  
Are you afraid of God?  Is God approachable?
When you think of God – what does He look like?  

Most people in our 21st century society have taken the image of God and conformed Him into a mold of our own design.  Minimizing His omnipotence to meet our specific needs and rationalizing it based on His love for us.  There are some that would clearly state that God loves us so there is no way He would do ___________________________ (you fill in the blank).  I was speaking with my 7 year old son the other night about the Passover and Moses leading the Israelites out of Egypt.  He was captivated by the plagues that God brought upon Egypt, including the killing of all the first born (Exodus 12:12) on the night of the Passover.  This is a very different image of God than the loving portrait of Jesus Christ with a child sitting on His lap.  You can imagine how confusing this must have been for a 7 year old, yet alone for you and I. 
 
I have found that most of us put aside the authority and all powerful God and focus on the forgiving, loving and peaceful image that conforms to who we want Him to be.  A recent survey of students at San Diego State University, performed by Kaleo Church, received these answers when asked, “Who is God?”

    

He is that Creator, that belief that guides you in every day life

He’s like this higher spiritual being that created this earth and all the things on it

He’s the Father figure that takes care of us.  He’s up in heaven and all around us and takes care of us – I don’t believe in the whole Jesus thing, but I do believe there is a higher being that takes care of us

Someone to look to for help, for peace of mind who’s always there to help me out

A higher power above that takes care of us and knows everything about us

My best friend, my father, someone I look up to, he’s pretty important to me, pretty much the center of my life

An entity in physical terms we can’t really understand.  History has given us many depictions of God all of them are different

For me it’s very personal, it’s inherent, I believe that most people believe in the same God but interpret Him differently

I’m a Christian – so I believe God is Jesus Christ – easy enough

God is an idea, often a good one, sometimes a bad one

It’s personal, it’s like believing in something like a higher power, something’s out there watching over you, keeping an eye out for you

I don’t really believe in God, I believe in a higher power, but not one thing

Whoever the individual feels it is.  Each individual has their own higher power

I really don’t have a belief about God and the whole religious story and all that

It varies on where you are geographically and your upbringing and your affiliation with institutionalized religion.   Something created the universe, but I don’t believe that thing is directly involved in our lives the way Institutional religion makes Him out to be

Not a Who, but a What - a deity created by human beings to better understand their relationship to the world, the ultimate form of good, necessary for growth and human survival; an interweaving, a fabric of the universe, much more than a person or a form

    
Quite a diverse set of reactions to a very profound question that has been asked for centuries and millennia.  These do not represent all of the answers, but a strong snapshot of the misconceptions and lack of reverence for who God is.  There does not seem to be a fear of God, to the youth of this day and age.  There is this belief in something greater than what is physically accessible, but there does not appear to be a fear of the repercussions of not believing in God.  Few acknowledged that Jesus Christ is the only way to God and most believed it is okay to believe in any God, whatever works for you.  Many of our youth are confused about the salvation, mercy and eternal grace available through the Savior Jesus Christ.  These young individuals are highly educated, filled with philosophies of worldly religions that conform to their model of what a God should be, regardless of accuracy or comprehension.  Confusion is the tool of the enemy and by the status of this survey, I would say that he is making an impact.

  So, who’s going to do anything about it?  Who can we rely on to propagate the Good News of Jesus Christ to these individuals?  They have come to the place they are at based on the sphere of influence in their life, so taking everything into consideration do we believe that this same sphere of influence is going to help them find “the light”?  Do we expect the media to help them find Christ?  What about the televangelists, or the education system, or their parents, or their Facebook groups?  No.  Church, we need to take a stand here and now.  If you and I and everyone you forward this to take the initiative to reach out to the community on behalf of Jesus Christ, there is no limitation to the impact we can make in the world.  You need to do some deep prayer and thought on how you can make a difference in the life of one lost youth.  I pray that you will take this serious, and not discard it as someone else’s problem to solve, it’s mine, it’s yours, it’s ours collectively.


PRAYER:
Lord,
  We are troubled in our hearts.  We long for the lost, the broken, the confused and the struggling to find You.  Do a miraculous work through this group of individuals reading this to take a dramatic step in spreading Your good word.  Fill us with Your Holy Spirit, that we might be on fire for You once again, and alive in Your will to carry the message to the masses.  There is a generation of lost souls and as a member of the church body of Jesus Christ, I am seeking Your touch in my life to spread Your word.  Teach us, love us and comfort us to become soldiers for Your word.  For it is through Your Son Jesus Christ we pray – Amen.

             

© Sondove Enterprises, 2012
For an archive of Daily Thoughts go to: http://www.10minutereader.com