Category Archives: Motherhood

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REJECTION

1 THESSALONIANS 4:8 

“So, he who rejects this is not rejecting man but the God who gives His Holy Spirit to you.”  

Rejection is probably the one thing I struggle with most. When I am rejected by someone, it hurts. Most of the time it’s because my pride is hurt. It’s all about me. I know I do NOT need the other person’s acceptance to identify me, but I still don’t like that someone doesn’t like me.   

But we can expect this if we are walking with Christ. Jesus told us, and Paul is telling us in today’s verse. People who aren’t walking in the light do not like the light shining on them. It points out their faults. He exposes their sin. So, if you are walking with Christ and trying to live for Him, others will reject you because of Him. 

APPLICATION 

Teaching our children about rejection is difficult and very emotional. They will encounter this at some point. Other children can be so cruel. Some kids just love to hurt other kids. They think it makes them feel better, but it doesn’t. We have to teach our children that their identity rest in Jesus, not in the opinion of men. 

When our children grasp this truth, they will be able to withstand any amount of rejection. Sure, it will still hurt. But knowing who you are in Christ makes all the difference. Jesus can handle the rejection. He is God. Let Him take those hurled words of insult. Let Him shoulder the load of rejection. He is able. 

Have you been rejected lately? How about by someone you love? Maybe even a family member? It hurts, I know. But give it all to Jesus. Let Him take the pain away. If you are living for Him, He will comfort you in the very midst of the rejection.  

Father, I know You experienced rejection when You sent Your Son to earth to die for us. When the world rejected Him, they rejected You. So, I know You understand how I feel when I go through this. Take this emotional pain from me today. 

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WHERE DOES GOD POINT?

1 THESSALONIANS 4:7 

“For God has not called us for the purpose of impurity, but in sanctification.”  

Do you ever have any doubts about where God wants you to go or how He wants you to live? If you do, this verse should put those doubts to rest. Look at the verse. It’s pretty simple. God calls us to be holy and sanctified. He never calls us to impurity or anything unholy. Why? Because He wants us to look like Him. 

Everything we do, say or think should be directed toward our sanctification. Do I mean you have to be perfect? Well…yes! But before you panic, that’s not me saying that. God tells us to be holy like He is. He tells us to be perfect like He is. The good news is that it is not up to us to make ourselves holy or perfect. He does that, if we will just surrender to Him. 

APPLICATION 

Don’t you wish you had perfect kids? Wouldn’t it be fantastic if your Elrod or Gertrude never misbehaved? Of course, if you had perfect kids, you would think it was because you are the perfect parent. You would probably write a book on being the perfect parent. You would probably go on a book tour and sign the books and give speeches on how to be the perfect parents. 

That is EXACTLY what God did. He is perfect. He wrote a book to tell us how to be perfect. He sent His Son to us to tell us how to be perfect. His Son gave speeches on how to be perfect. We just need to listen to Him. All the answers we need to parent our children perfectly are contained in His Word.  

Will you ever be perfect? Not until you reach eternity. Then and only then will you be perfected. Then and only then will you cease to sin. Then and only then will you achieve holiness. God knows that, but we are still to strive to be like Him every day. Will you today? 

O Perfect One, make me like You. Show me all my faults and failures. Help me perfect myself to live just how You want me to. 

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DO YOU USE PEOPLE?

1 THESSALONIANS 4:6 

“and that no man transgress and defraud his brother in the matter because the Lord is the avenger in all these things, just as we also told you before and solemnly warned you.”   

There was a song in the 70’s that talked about using things and loving people, rather than loving things and using people. Which are you? Pau is warning us in this verse not to take advantage of or step over others. This was especially true in the context of this verse – sexual immorality. Sexual sin always hurts others. 

In our daily lives as Christians we should never do anything that hurts another person, whether they are believers or not. Our goal should always be to bring them along the path to righteousness, to point them to Christ. If we are “using” them, we are not doing that.  

APPLICATION 

Children can get into this habit of manipulation of people if we don’t guide them. Your little Susie will see how other girls get boys to like them. Of course, she wants to fit in with her girlfriends, so she learns to “use” the boys to get what she wants. 

Your Johnny may see girls as just a conquest. He hears the other guys talking and wants to play the same game. Listen to me, Mom and Dad. You must teach your children this truth. Everyone is loved by God and is precious to Him. He longs for each and every one of them to come to Him. Our job is to teach our children to see them as brothers and sisters in Christ or as potential “family members.” 

Are you guilty of transgression against your brother or sister? Have you defrauded or stepped over someone? Confess that as sin and ask the Lord to help you make it right. As the verse says, “the Lord is the avenger in all these things.” You certainly don’t want the Lord avenging your wrong against them. Make it right today. 

If I have wronged someone today, Lord, please forgive me. Give me the opportunity to go to them and make it right. I truly want to be a witness for You. 

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ARE YOU PASSIONATE?

1 THESSALONIANS 4:5 

“not in lustful passion, like the Gentiles who do not know God; “ 

I will never forget telling my son to pursue his passion, in regards to choosing a career. Passion is a good thing, if focused on the right thing. That’s why I find it so interesting that Paul used these two words, “lustful passion” here in this verse. Every word used by any of the authors of the Bible were inspired by the Holy Spirit (2 Timothy 3:16), so these words were not an accident. 

“Passion” literally means to eagerly desire and want something. It can be good or bad. I have an intense passion for God’s Word. That’s good. But “lustful” is where we get the word  “pathology.” It’s only used three times in Scripture, and all three times it’s bad.  It refers to a lust or desire not from God. THAT’S what Paul is warning against. 

APPLICATION 

I bet your little Johnny or Susie have a passion for something. If it lines up with God’s Word, encourage it. If it doesn’t, squash it now. Seriously! Don’t let an unhealthy passion for something fester in your child’s life. It will only bring sorrow and pain down the road. 

As Christian parents, we want to encourage our children to pursue those healthy passions. We don’t want them chasing ungodly passions, like the world. Just as Paul warned the Thessalonians, we need to be alert to our children’s passion.  

What are you pursuing today? How would God classify your passions? Are they lustful (not godly) or pure and healthy (godly)? It’s easy to figure that out. Just ask Him. He’ll tell you. If it brings Him glory, go for it. If it only brings you satisfaction and attention, you had better look closer. 

My desire, O God, is to desire only You. My heart yearns for a deeper knowledge of You and a more intimate relationship. Show me how to pursue that passion and give You the glory. 

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IT’S NOT COMPLICATED

1 THESSALONIANS 4:4 

“that each of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor,”  

Don’t read too much into this verse. It’s pretty simple. Not too complicated. Paul is telling us to control our bodies. As Christians, the Thessalonians needed to be reminded that even their bodies were a reflection of Christ. The same goes for us today. So, what does that mean? 

It does NOT mean that we get obsessed with exercise. While that is good and necessary, this earthen vessel is just that – an earthen vessel. It is going to get old and broken. We can’t stop the aging process. But we can honor God by how we treat it. Our body is deserving of sanctification and honor because it is the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit. Shouldn’t He live in a nice place? 

APPLICATION 

Take your children on a ride to the part of town where the houses are run down and in need of repair. Then take them to a newer neighborhood and show them some new homes. You are not trying to say anything about the people who live there. You are just looking at the structures. 

Ask them which house they would want to live in? I am sure they will pick the new house. Explain to them how their bodies, if they are believers, is like that. We must care for our bodies since it is where the Holy Spirit lives, and it’s the very thing that people see about us.  We all get sick and may get diseases. We are not referring to that. But we must do all we can to let our “vessels” honor the Lord.  

Okay! Here comes the hard question. How is your vessel looking? God loves you no matter what your body type. But He desires us to honor Him with what He has given us. Abusing our bodies dishonors the Lord. Abusing our vessels may make it unusable to the Lord. Keep yourself ready for the journey. You never know where He may ask you to go. 

Lord, I want to be used by You. Help me discipline my body to be prepared for whatever task You have for me. I thank You that You have given me the strength to serve. 

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BE SANCTIFIED

1 THESSALONIANS 4:3 

“For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality;” 

Just what does this mean? Be sanctified! How is that possible? How can we possibly be sanctified? In this verse Paul tells the Thessalonians to keep themselves pure, to protect their bodies and to flee from immorality. Remember they are in a pagan city surrounded by idol worship that usually involved sexual practices. Enough about that! You get the picture. 

But Paul is saying “Run from that stuff!” However, they need to run to God. He is the only One who sanctifies. We can’t sanctify ourselves. When we surrender to Him and to His Will, then He can begin the sanctification process. He can make us holy, just like Him, if we allow Him to work in and through us. 

APPLICATION 

Now, how do you explain sanctification to your children? Well, sanctification means you are looking more and more like Jesus. Have you ever seen a picture of a child whose face was aged to look older? The program projects what the child would look like in 10, 20 or 30 years. This would be a fun thing to do with your child. 

Then read this verse and explain that the Lord knows EXACTLY what they are going to look like. More importantly, He knows how close they can look like Him if they surrender to Him. Ask your child if they want to be like Jesus (they probably don’t want to look like Him with the beard and long hair, lol). I bet they will want to BE like Him. Your job starts right there. You can help them make good choices while they are young, so they will know how to do that as the age. 

How are you doing with your own sanctification? Are you fleeing from immorality? We may not have pagan temples around us, but we sure have the lures of this world that can rob us of being sanctified. Will you surrender to Him today and allow Him to work on you? 

Lord, sanctify me today. Take my life and make it Yours. I want to look just You. 

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THIS CAME FROM THE TOP

1 THESSALONIANS 4:2 

“For you know what commandments we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus.” 

In the years I have served in ministry, there have been multiple times I had to pass on a directive to my employees that had come from my boss. His instructions to me were meant to be passed on to all the employees, not just me. If I had kept that directive to myself and not passed it on, I would have caused my employees to be disobedient without even knowing it. 

Paul was simply a conduit of these commandments to the Thessalonians. He had an obligation to pass them on. They had to be informed of the Lord’s requirements for righteousness. And of course, because they came from the Lord, Paul had the authority to dispense them in His name. 

APPLICATION 

Do you remember when you were young when one of your siblings said, “Daddy said…”? If Daddy said it, you had better do it, right? It wasn’t because the message was delivered by a sibling. No! It had come from the top. What a great way to teach your children. 

The next time you need to deliver a message of instruction to one of your children, ask one of your other children to deliver it for you with those words “Daddy said” or “Mommy said.” Then follow up the message to explain this verse and apply it to our walk with Christ. Christ delivered the message from the Father. The message came from the top. 

Are you a message listener or a message denier? Do you only respond to the message if it comes from the person who initiated it? Sometimes the Lord will put others in your life to bring you a message from the Lord. Listen and check it with Scripture. God just may want you to listen to that command which came from the top. 

Father, I know You send commandments to me through Your Word. I know also You can use my Pastor, spouse or best friend to deliver Your truth to me. Help me to be observant and ready to comply 

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JUST WALK

1 THESSALONIANS 4:1 

“Finally then, brethren, we request and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us instruction as to how you ought to walk and please God (just as you actually do walk), that you excel still more.  

My granddaughter just learned to walk. One week she’s crawling and pulling up to stuff and the next…she’s off to the races. She looked so funny trying to get her balance and take those steps. And she looked so different standing upright, rather than crawling. Her walking changed the way she looked and acted. 

Hmmmm! That might just apply to us. Think about it. How we walk with Christ affects how we appear to others. How balanced we are in our strides can either influence others to follow us or run from us. Our walk does affect others, whether we want to admit it or not. 

APPLICATION 

Do you remember the hours you spent teaching your little Elrod or Gertrude to walk? Holding their little hands as they took their first steps. Following close behind in case they stumbled. Picking them up and drying the tears when they fell. All of those are part of helping them learn to walk. You wouldn’t have dreamed of letting them do it all on their own. 

It’s the same way with their walk in Christ. We have to hold their hand, guard against stumbles and pick them up and dry the tears when they fail. The difference between learning to physically walk and spiritually walk is eternal. Their spiritual walk will determine where they spend eternity.  

How are you doing as a parent in guiding your child’s walk? How is your walk? Paul is imploring us to walk and please God, just as he was encouraging the Thessalonians. Does your walk please God? If not, change course or change strides. Just walk to please Him. 

Walking with You, Lord, is a pleasant thing. Sometimes You take me on paths I don’t want to go, but I trust You. I will surrender to You today and allow You to point out the way. 

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SUPER GLUED


1 THESSALONIANS 3:13

“so that He may establish your hearts without blame in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His saints.”

That may sound silly – super glued! But I love that stuff. When something needs to be held tight and not move, pull out the super glue. Just make sure you have it set in the right place, because once the glue is applied, it’s not moving.

That’s the meaning behind the word “establish” in today’s verse. God will super glue your heart “without blame in holiness.” Of course, everything God does is eternal. He doesn’t mess around with temporal stuff. So, if He establishes your heart, He intends it to last for eternity.

APPLICATION

How do you apply this verse to yourself and your family? God can only establish your heart if it is yielded to Him. He won’t force you. As bad as you want your children to follow Christ, it is only possible if they surrender to Him. 

Our job as parents is to prepare our children’s hearts to be established by the Lord. That means we are consistently teaching them God’s Word. We know it won’t come back void. We are consistently teaching them to pray, so when the Holy Spirit draws them to surrender, they will know His voice. 

Have you fully, and I mean fully, surrendered your heart to Him? Does He have it all? If you are holding back, He can’t establish you as blameless or in holiness. If we insist of handling part of our heart ourselves, it will not be secure. Allow the Lord today to have it all.  He can handle it. He can secure it.

You are the Maker of my heart, therefore, You are the only one who can establish it. Thank You, Lord, for super glueing my heart today.

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MORE THAN ENOUGH


1 THESSALONIANS 3:12

“and may the Lord cause you to increase and abound in love for one another, and for all people, just as we also do for you;” 

Paul is making a wish here – that the Thessalonians would increase and abound in love. Now, even though this was a wish he hoped to see come true, it was a pretty, sure wish. Paul had confidence that they would do just what he hoped. Why? Because he knew their love first hand. He had experienced  their love. He knew they were quite capable.

These two words, “increase” and “abound,” mean very similar things. They can both mean more than enough, overflowing or abundant. Paul was simply trying to overemphasize the point to them. But it is important to remember that they could only “overflow” what was in them. This love came from an unending source – God.

APPLICATION

Tell me this – do you ever run out of love for your children? Of course, not. And let me tell you, it’s even more true with your grandchildren. I have four (as of this writing), and the love I have for them just gets stronger each day. I don’t have that capacity in myself. Any love I feel for anyone comes from the love the Father has shown me.

I want to challenge you to let that love you have for family extend to your church family, to your neighbors and even to strangers. Teach your children to love abundantly. Teach them to overflow with love. Show them what that looks like, not just to them but with others. 

If you will commit to love like that, you will experience an even deeper love of the Father. I know the Lord is well pleased when we love well. When He sees His love poured out on others through us, He smiles. After all, He still uses us to spread His Word and His love on this earth.

God of love, thank You for using me to love others. Help me to love those whom I find it hard to love. You can love them through me.

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