In today’s society it seems as if everyone is allowed to be offended except those who openly live for Christ. Whether Christians proclaim the hope, truth, and good news of the Bible in all aspects of their life, or simply allow the doctrines of the Christian faith to dictate the decisions they make in their own lives, they are attacked on all sides by those who rebel against a faith based approach to life.
These attacks are rooted in a lie about the definition of love and use this new definition to label Christians as bigots who are intolerant and unloving.
At one time, it was considered a loving act to warn
people when they were headed in a direction that would cause them or the people around them harm. (We would never allow a toddler to touch an open flame) True love protects and corrects.
When political correctness was birthed it dictated that we were not to offend anyone for any reason. An indoctrination began to redefine love as accepting and endorsing all forms of evil and immoral behavior and calling them good, while at the same time creating an population who dictates that all good is actually evil. This path has led to much sorrow.
“What sorrow for those who say that evil is good and good is evil, that dark is light and light is dark, that bitter is sweet and sweet is bitter.”, Isaiah 5:20, NLT
After years of passive silence, Christians are realizing the things they never dreamed could happen have now become legalized, endorsed and acceptable behavior. Those things considered evil and sinful now carry the label of good and encouraged and have all been put in place to make sure certain demographics were not offended.
These actions are offensive to the deepest parts of a Christian’s being and leave believers with no idea how to respond after years of passive silence.
When we have the courage to finally draw a ‘line in the sand’ and say, “This is wrong.”, (Don’t touch the fire because it will burn you.) we are brutally attacked.
Since the majority of Christians have been silent for so many years, these attacks leave us uncertain of what to do as the pressures build. Unless we are grounded in the Word of God, we can easily find ourselves REACTING to the attacks instead of RESPONDING.
Reacting is done on impulse, without thought to consequences or outcome. It is a defensive act that that is typically emotional in nature. Oftentimes it leads us to behave poorly and recklessly. Regret often follows a reaction.
Responding is a planned, thought out decisive act. It is an offensive act that weighs long term effect over immediate concerns and emotions. It is a position of power and leads to a stance of credibility that can create effective change.
As Christians, we must learn to be people of response instead of reaction.
Responding allows time for prayer, and seeking God on how He wants us to move forward. It also allows you to recognize who the enemy is and how best to defeat them.
David was under attack (as people of the Christian faith are today) and instead of reacting to the attacks, he went to the Lord and asked Him; “Should I attack them back?”
“So David asked God, Should I go out to fight the Philistines? Will you hand them over to me?” 1 Chronicles 14:10a, NLT
This pause and pray response, allowed David to gain
the direction that he needed to gain victory over the ones attacking him. During one attack God said go directly and meet them head on and the victory would be his…another time, God instructed him to go fight, but to attack from the rear and the victory would be his.
This example of David responding to the attack after seeking the Lord was key in his victory.
The beautiful thing about our seeking God in our response to the attacks instead of reacting…
When I react, I and operating on my own power and trying to fight in my own limited abilities. When I wait and respond, I am recognizing the true enemy and allowing God’s power its place in the battle.
“For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.”, Ephesians 6:12, NLT
We do not have to fight in our own strength and power because the Lord will fight for us.
“For the Lord your God is going with you! He will fight for you against your enemies, and he will give you victory!”, Deuteronomy 20:4, NLT
The Lord will tell us how we are to fight
“So David asked God, Should I go out to fight the Philistines? Will you hand them over to me?” The Lord replied, “Yes, go ahead. I will hand then over to you.”, ! Chronicles 14:10, NLT
He wont always lead us to fight in the same way we have won in the past.
“But after a while the Philistines returned and raided the valley again. And once again David asked God what to do. “Do not attack them straight on,” God replied. “Instead, circle around behind and attack them neat the poplar trees. When you hear a sound like marching feet in the tops of the poplar trees, go out and attack! That will be the signal that God is moving ahead of you to strike down the Philistine army.”, 1 Chronicles 14:13-15, NLT
The Lord will Respond on our behalf as we move past reaction and ask for His help.
“The Lord says, “I was ready to respond, but no one asked for help. I was ready to be found, but no one was looking for me. I said, ‘Here I am, here I am!’ to a nation that did not call on my name.”, Isaiah 65:1, NLT
I have to say that I have been overwhelmed and discouraged lately by society’s continued blatant exclusion of God and the persecution of all standards resembling Christianity.
These attacks are very difficult for a person who follows the Christian faith to not take personally, because authentic faith is a very personal thing that defines who I am and dictates how I behave.
With the unending attack by those in authority (as well as their gangs of bullies) who rip at the very fabric of everything I stand for…Doubt has crept in.
I doubt whether I did the right thing by having children. The world that they will grow up in doesn’t mirror the faith and beliefs our family hold dear.
what kind of world will they endure? What will their children be subjected to? Is there any hope?
I doubt how how my commitment to be open with my faith. The people who choose to live their faith authentically through all areas of their lives are under attack and face accusations of being judgmental bigots, even though they have not attacked anyone…but instead face an onslaught that threatens their careers and livelihoods.
I doubt I have the backbone to stand strong under the attacks, or the heart to continue to love the attackers with the love Jesus says I am to extend to others. (FYI…Godly love is not an ‘anything goes love’. It has boundaries and expectations, but that can be a different blog post all together.)
In the midst of my doubt, I find hope and comfort in the source that doesn’t change.
“When doubts filled my mind, your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer.”, Psalm 94:19, NLT
Even though doubts may fill my mind… God comforts me and renews my hope and cheer.
If you are doubts fill your mind…allow God to comfort you today. As He does, see your hope and cheer renewed.
*I'm joining with the Five Minute Friday Link-up with the word CHEER.
Sweet friends, I come to you today as a mom in transition watching her teen children reach milestones almost as fast as they did as toddlers. Just like the early milestones of potty training, solid foods, and big kid beds these milestones change how I perform my role as mom. A huge difference with these "moving into adulthood" milestones is that each one moves me a little further into the background of their lives.
My oldest is a Sophomore who over the last few months has reached many milestones. She has gotten her driver's licences, taken responsibility for herself on getting up and out the door in the mornings, and for the most part is setting her own schedule and letting me know where she will be and what she will be doing. I still have override authority on all of it, but I am no longer needed to shuttle her, be available, or even make food for her. While I am excited and overjoyed for HER and HER JOURNEY into this season, each step and milestone is a painful reminder that my constant care, input, and presence in her life is no longer needed and in large part not wanted.
My youngest is in 8th grade and will be a Freshman next year. She has had her own list of milestones recently. She has learned to serve others with compassion and has allowed herself to embrace the leader/ servant that God created her to be. She has always been responsible, but I have seen her, at the age of 14, seek after and embrace positions many adults struggle to manage. She auditioned for the High School Band and will be marching with them in the fall. Last night was her last Jr. High School dance and she had a blast sharing the night with friends she will be parting ways from in a month as they head to different high schools. Even though she has never set foot in a high school classroom, she will start college courses in June. I am happy for her and the future she is working towards, but her choice to use her Summer to get college credits means that the family time I anticipated (and honestly long for) will not be available to us. Here again, with this milestone, I am being pushed into to background.
Unlike diapers, teething, pacifiers, and toddler beds, I am not quite ready for these milestones and what they mean for me as a mom. My daughters are moving through these "becoming adult" seasons so fast I struggle to find balance. Its as if I wake up one day and am needed for everything, then by lunch they have this new skill mastered and I'm expected to be an observer on the sidelines of their life.
How do I continue to celebrate the amazing women they are becoming and allow that to be BIGGER than the sorrow I am experiencing in this season as they need me (and want me) less and less?
The bible clearly tells us to
"Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it.", (Proverbs 22:6, NLT)
In a way, this season of milestones is similar to when I encouraged them to take their first steps.
In that season my job was to be in front of them, holding my arms out and lovingly encouraging them to be brave, believe in themselves and their ability, and to take that first step...all the while, silently praying that they wouldn't get hurt.
In this season though, I'm cheering them on from behind, telling them that they have what it takes to walk this path. My arms are still outstretched, partly to gently push them, but also so that they know my arms are still open and I'm still here ready to comfort, support, and encourage them when they look back uncertain about their next step. I'm still praying that they don't get hurt.
A major difference in this season though is that when they took their first steps, they were walking toward me...today they are walking away. Because this season is personally painful, I have to be careful not to allow the milestones my daughters are embracing become MILLSTONES for me.
A millstone is a stone that rolls around finely grinding wheat, corn or other substances into a flour like powder. If I were to allow my daughters' milestones to wear me down and make me feel useless as I am being pushed further into the background of their lives, their milestones could easily become millstones that leave me broken and crushed. I think an appropriate scripture is:
"So let's not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don't give up.", (Galatians 6:9, NLT)
I know that in this season of changes I still have a very important role in their lives. I show up even when they don't greet me with the same enthusiasm they did when they were three. I listen and attempt to comfort them as they pour out their fears and broken hearts even though a kiss no longer makes things all better. I give counsel even though they have to make their own choices and live with those consequences...good or bad.
Mostly I stay behind them with arms wide open, ready to embrace them should they decide to run back to the safety of mom. I will remain in the shadows ready to step in and be what they want/need me to be, but the days of me being the center of their universe are mostly over.
As I write this, I realize that the posture of motherhood is "arms wide open". The enemy would want to use pain of these milestones to cause me to have a "motherhood identity crisis". If my daughters' milestone were to become my millstones, then I would be tempted to drop my arms to a position of protecting my heart and shutting myself off from my children. I refuse to allow that to happen.
Jesus experienced tremendous pain and rejection as he held His arms open wide and died of the cross so I would have the safety of Him and His love to run to. I know these milestones will not kill me. I hope and pray that I do well as I finish this season of mothering. I am trusting that at the end of this, I will have allowed God to use motherhood to shape me in to who He has planned for me to be.
While I am not ready to consider myself qualified to be an "older woman" I am older than the moms who travel this path behind me. I hope to reflect this scripture in all of my actions.
"These older women must train the younger women to love their husbands and their children, to live wisely and be pure, to work in their homes, to do good, and to be submissive to their husbands. Then they will not bring shame on the word of God.", (Titus 2:4-5, NLT)
Maybe one day, I will be able to be the woman that is talked about in this verse.
"Her children stand and bless her. Her husband praises her:", (Proverbs 31:28, NLT)
So sweet moms, keep your heart and arms open toward your children no matter what milestones they are reaching. It can be thrilling and heartbreaking at the same time. Lets work to not allow the milestones of our children become millstones that crush us.
In today’s society it seems as if everyone is allowed to be offended except those who openly live for Christ. Whether Christians proclaim the hope, truth, and good news of the Bible in all aspects of their life, or simply allow the doctrines of the Christian faith to dictate the decisions they make in their own lives, they are attacked on all sides by those who rebel against a faith based approach to life. 
When we have the courage to finally draw a ‘line in the sand’ and say, “This is wrong.”, (Don’t touch the fire because it will burn you.) we are brutally attacked.
