This was a note delivered to me after the kids were tucked in last night.
By a certain second grader that dwells here but will remain nameless.
Before getting tucked, we had to have a conversation about
a bad attitude that manifested itself in less than appealing outward behavior.
To be honest, I was tired and I knew as I retreated downstairs after our conversation
that I didn't handle it as well as I would have liked.
But look what God did, despite my failures as a parent {again}.
THATS the Holy Spirit at work in my little girl's heart.
This morning, this certain nameless second grader reported that her heart was happy this morning and she was glad that God made it a new day so that she could "try on" a better attitude.
Me, too.
I'm glad it's a new day, too.
Seeking God's forgiveness gives us that assurance of His grace and mercy.
I praise Him for that.
I praise Him for mercies new every morning!
I praise Him for His work in my little girl's heart.
I praise Him that He is teaching both of us how to
walk in newness of life!
Romans 6:4-6 reads:
We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that,
just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father,
we, too, might walk in newness of life.
For if we have been united with him in a death like his,
we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.
We know that our OLD self was crucified with him in order that the body of
sin might be brought to NOTHING, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin."
Paul is teaching here that union with Christ through faith grants
us peace in the fact that sin no longer has mastery over us.
We are no longer slaves to sin. It still resides in us, we still battle it, but
it no longer controls us.
We have been raised to newness of life.
Newness of life expresses itself in
new behaviors
new desires
new thoughts
new appetites
We think differently.
We act differently.
We live in a very different way when we embrace this newness of life.
It's just the power of the gospel!
When we trust in the Lord with all our heart
and lean not on our OWN understanding,
Proverbs 3:5-6 promises that He
will make our path straight.
He will reorder our thinking
He will set our affections on Him
He will regenerate our hearts
He will make us sad over our sin
He will make us to rejoice in righteousness
He will make us to grow in grace
He will make our priorities align with His
He will set us free from the bondage of our sins
He will finish the work he began in us.
Parenting is hard work. I often fail at it miserably.
But then, I get a glimpse of God who is at work in me and in my children.
And I am delighted. I feel refreshed.
I pray that my children and I would
be renewed day by day in Christ's redeeming work on our behalf.
And that our hearts might
reflect His awesome regenerating power!
That, my friends, is what the Easter celebration is all about!
Me, too.
I'm glad it's a new day, too.
Seeking God's forgiveness gives us that assurance of His grace and mercy.
I praise Him for that.
I praise Him for mercies new every morning!
I praise Him for His work in my little girl's heart.
I praise Him that He is teaching both of us how to
walk in newness of life!
Romans 6:4-6 reads:
We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that,
just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father,
we, too, might walk in newness of life.
For if we have been united with him in a death like his,
we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.
We know that our OLD self was crucified with him in order that the body of
sin might be brought to NOTHING, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin."
Paul is teaching here that union with Christ through faith grants
us peace in the fact that sin no longer has mastery over us.
We are no longer slaves to sin. It still resides in us, we still battle it, but
it no longer controls us.
We have been raised to newness of life.
Newness of life expresses itself in
new behaviors
new desires
new thoughts
new appetites
We think differently.
We act differently.
We live in a very different way when we embrace this newness of life.
It's just the power of the gospel!
When we trust in the Lord with all our heart
and lean not on our OWN understanding,
Proverbs 3:5-6 promises that He
will make our path straight.
He will reorder our thinking
He will set our affections on Him
He will regenerate our hearts
He will make us sad over our sin
He will make us to rejoice in righteousness
He will make us to grow in grace
He will make our priorities align with His
He will set us free from the bondage of our sins
He will finish the work he began in us.
Parenting is hard work. I often fail at it miserably.
But then, I get a glimpse of God who is at work in me and in my children.
And I am delighted. I feel refreshed.
I pray that my children and I would
be renewed day by day in Christ's redeeming work on our behalf.
And that our hearts might
reflect His awesome regenerating power!
That, my friends, is what the Easter celebration is all about!
No comments:
Post a Comment
We love your comments. Let us know you stopped by!