Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Making It Obvious

Do your children know that you love Jesus? Not your job, not your hobby, not your gadgets, not your home, and not your bank account. But Jesus, first and foremost - do they see you loving Him before anything else?

What are you intentionally doing to make your love for Jesus a regular and obvious part of your day?
Do your children know that you choose sacrifice for Kingdom-building purposes? Not sacrifice for a promotion or pay raise; not sacrifice for buying a bigger home or enjoying a nicer vacation; not sacrifice for making time for rest and relaxation. But for Jesus, first and foremost - do they see you choosing to sacrifice your time and money and energy and talents so that you are actively participating in building His Kingdom?

What are you intentionally doing to make sacrifice for Jesus a regular and obvious part of your day?
Do your children know that you have joy because of Jesus? Not because of your weight-loss, your new car, your relationships, or your circumstances. But because of Jesus, first and foremost - do they see you choosing joy because of His love and His grace and His provision lavished on you?

What are you intentionally doing to make Jesus' joy a regular and obvious part of your day?
Do your children know that you live by faith? Not by your checkbook, your husband, your personal research, or your nervous hopes. But because of Jesus, first and foremost - do they see you choosing faith because He has shown himself faithful in all things to all people at all times?

What are you intentionally doing to make faith in Jesus a regular and obvious part of your day?


Do your children know that your identity is rooted in Jesus? Not in your clothes, your accomplishments, your career, your ministry, or your nicely-decorated home. But in Jesus, first and foremost - do they see you living life, making decisions, and enjoying relationships because you understand your value in Him?

What are you intentionally doing to make your identity in Jesus a regular and obvious part of your day?


Do your children know that your delight in serving Jesus? Not because your pastor asked you to, not because your friends pressured you, and not because you felt obligated to. But because of Jesus, first and foremost - do they see you relishing in the opportunity to serve Jesus and His people?

What are you intentionally doing to make serving Jesus a regular and obvious part of your day?

Do your children know that your relationship with Jesus and your priority to Him trump everything else?

Even them.

Even their wants. Even their whines. Even their demands. Do they know that Jesus, first and foremost, is the central figure of your life because your speech, attitudes, and actions daily show it?

Loving Jesus. Sacrificing for Jesus. Finding joy in Jesus. Living by faith in Jesus. Discovering identify in Jesus. Serving Jesus.

It's a lot. Too much to do on your own, and too important to treat trivially.

Knowing, loving, and serving Jesus will be obvious to your children when you choose, through His strength, to live intentionally for Him and His agenda.
"...Acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will reject you forever." 1 Chronicles 28:9

"...The Lord is our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul an with all your might. These words which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. 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 6:4-8

"Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it." Psalm 127:1

3 comments:

  1. Sarah is amazing at getting me to think!! Love this. I'm inspired to go do my devotions!

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  2. Amen & amen! Thanks for this awesome post that is both convicting & encouraging at the same time! Thank you guys for living out your faith intentionally...for your kids & for everyone around you!
    Blessings sweet Peeler family!

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  3. Whoa...she's calling us out, folks! :-) I was doing okay...(not really) till you threw a couple of curve balls in there. Of course, then I was convicted! :-) The song "Cornerstone" kept running through my mind with this post...my hope is built on nothing less than Jesus and righteousness. Amen, sister friend! You are such a great example of this to me! Love you!

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