What
a week! Traveling through Romans 12 has
been quite a journey for me. I have felt
challenged, encouraged, convicted, as well as many other emotions as I have
read and reread these passages. I
hope the same is true for you.
This
week I have felt a strong passion that is forcing me to immediate action. As I read Romans 12:9-13 over and over, the
thought that Paul is clearly outlining how a Christian should conduct themselves
sent my mind directly to my kids. Our
children are always measured by their conduct, at school they receive grades,
on the sports field they receive awards or consequences, they are always being
taught expectations of behavior through the systems around them. So, I started thinking, “I reinforce good behaviors and conduct based on the worldly standards,
but do I take time to teach and reinforce the expectations of a
Christian?” Each time their report card comes home we talk
about their conduct grades, but how often do I take time to talk about what
Paul has outlined here? My husband and I want to instill in them a love
of God so these behaviors naturally flow from them. But have we communicated it clearly, in both
our words and our actions? This
compelled me to write them a letter and share my heart for them:
Dear Emma, Gavin, and Reed,
Your dad and I pray that you discover what an
amazing God we have and love Him with all of your heart. We hope you always say what you truly feel,
be sincere in your words and actions.
Stay away from evil things and hold tight to what is good. Strive to love others before yourself, even those
who don’t want to be loved or are hard to love at times. Live a life of passion, always learning and
growing in Christ. Never be too prideful
to learn something new. Please know in
times of challenge and heartache God’s plan is good and we have the hope of
being with Him for eternity, these hard times are fleeting. Mommy often struggles with learning to be
patient in times of challenge, but God’s timing is not always ours and His plan
is far better than one we could create in haste, so wait patiently in all
things. Reach out to God. He is always there. Fill your life with prayer and not always the
ones with you talking, but sit opened to hear Him speak back to you. In every part of your life help those in
need, help your fellow Christian in times of emotional, spiritual, and physical
troubles, and if you don’t know how ask God to reveal it to you. Lastly, open your arms and let people in,
open your doors and share your heart with others. Serve them, welcome them, tend to them. Make new friendships and cultivate the
old. Never let the business of life or
the fear of what others think stop you from this. I love you more than you can ever imagine,
and God loves you even more than that.
Put your love into action and live a life for others. It is not always
easy, but you are never alone, just look to Him.
Love,
Mommy
I am a
passionate mom who wants to BE the Christian I pray for my children to
become. I want them to not only hear the
passages of God’s Word, but to see it in action in me. Romans 12 as a whole is transforming me from
the inside out in many areas of my life, and hopefully by seeing it come to
life in me, it will begin transforming my children as well.
- Julie Eastman, Children's Minister
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