New Year's Resolution!

It's been a challenging year for me and our family.  And probably challenging in one way or another for all of you as well that might be reading this. God is continuing His good work in us, and that usually involves trials, testing, and stretching, huh?  For us, many of the tests and trials have been interpersonal, and so, largely right here within the walls of our home.

In thinking over this fresh start we have beginning tomorrow, and how I could respond to the trials and tests better, I've been considering a needed area of focus for the new year. I think my greatest need is to spend more time with the Lord, and abiding in Him throughout each day, and in doing so, allowing Him to fill me with HIS strength, wisdom, encouragement, compassion, patience, gentleness, etc.    I can only live the life He has given me in a way that is pleasing to Him and reflects Him, if I slow down long enough to be still and quiet, listening to Him through His word, communicating with Him in prayer, and renewing my mind with Truth, thankfulness and worship of Him. And then helping lead my family in this same way. 

I recently read this portion of "The Family" by J.R. Miller that speaks a bit to what my daily life at home as a wife, teacher, homemaker and mom currently looks like, and the way it should be more like.  

"There are many things that tend to cause friction in a household.  There are daily cares. There are annoyances of a thousand kinds that break in upon the even flow of the family life.  None of us are angels, and our intercourse together is ofttimes marred by selfishness or impatience or irritability or querulousness.  Sometimes our quick lips speak the harsh word that gives pain to more than one tender heart in the household. We sometimes misunderstand each other, and a shadow hangs between two souls which love each other very truly.  There is nothing that will smooth out all the little tangles and set all wrong things right again like the daily worship together. Every burden is there brought and laid off on the great Burden-bearer.  Harsh feelings are softened as the admonitions of God's word fall on the ear.  Hearts are drawn closer together as they approach the same throne of heavenly grace and feel the Spirit's power.  Impatience vanishes from face and speech while all wait together before God.  No bitterness against another member of the family can live through a tender season of household worship; while we plead with God to forgive our sins, we cannot but forgive one another. Peace comes to the perplexed soul while bowing at God's feet and feeling the great calm of his own peace brooding over us and lying all about us.  We are ashamed of our disquiet and worry when we look up into our Father's face and see how faithfully he loves and cares for us." 

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Jesus said in John 13:34-35 "A new command I give you:  Love one another.  As I have loved you, so you must love one another.  By this all men will know that you are my disciples, If you love one another. "

And in John 15:11-13 "I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this:  Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." 

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How does Jesus love us?  It would probably take many pages to write all the ways in which He loves us . . . . probably as many pages that are in the Bible!  :-) And it will probably take a lifetime to learn and meditate on all these ways. 

But I've often heard that it can be summed up in the saying, "we are never more like Jesus than when we serve and when we lay down our life for another."  (By dying to our selfishness and considering others more important than ourselves.)  And then there are the many commands for us to forgive one another as Jesus has forgiven us. 

This is all impossible without the daily indwelling of the Holy Spirit convicting us and helping produce the fruit of the Spirit in our lives.  And of course, loving like Jesus loves also takes lots of effort on our part.

So my vision for 2018 is working harder to keep myself in the Word, in prayer, and yielding to the Holy Spirit's leading day-by-day. This will mean getting up out of bed earlier, and stepping away for a few more private moments with the Lord throughout the day.   

This is my/our only hope for experiencing an abundant-joyful life, and one that is truly pleasing to the Lord and influencing others toward the Kingdom of God! 

This line-up of boots in our entry way should be a daily reminder to me !!!!

Jesus said, "You call Me Teacher and Lord, and rightly so, because I am.  So if I, your Lord and teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. 
 I have set you an example so that you should do as I have done for you.…"
John 13:13-15