Building Up My House

Proverbs 14:1
The wisest of women build her house, but folly with her own hands tears it down.

Recently I've reflected on ways in which I can continue to grow in my Christian life as a wife, mother, and child.  This world can make us so hard, and plays tricks on us - promising satisfaction and contentment but it never ever does. 

Reading in Luke this morning, Jesus lays out the ways in which to live, and how to perceive hardships.  The answers are so simple but to apply them in our own strength is impossible.

Luke 6:20-45 Then He lifted up His eyes toward His disciples, and said: Blessed are you poor, For yours is the kingdom of God.21 Blessed are you who hunger now, For you shall be filled. Blessed are you who weep now, For you shall laugh.22 Blessed are you when men hate you, And when they exclude you, And revile you, and cast out your name as evil, For the Son of Mans sake.23 Rejoice in that day and leap for joy! For indeed your reward is great in heaven, For in like manner their fathers did to the prophets.24 But woe to you who are rich, For you have received your consolation.25 Woe to you who are full, For you shall hunger. Woe to you who laugh now, For you shall mourn and weep.26 Woe to you when all men speak well of you, For so did their fathers to the false prophets.

27 But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you. 29 To him who strikes you on the one cheek, offer the other also. And from him who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic either. 30 Give to everyone who asks of you. And from him who takes away your goods do not ask them back. 31 And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise.32 But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what credit is that to you? For even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much back. 35 But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil. 36 Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.37 Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. 38 Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.

39 And He spoke a parable to them: Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into the ditch? 40 A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher. 41 And why do you look at the speck in your brothers eye, but do not perceive the plank in your own eye? 42 Or how can you say to your brother, Brother, let me remove the speck that is in your eye, when you yourself do not see the plank that is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck that is in your brothers eye.43 For a good tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. 44 For every tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush. 45A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.

God is continually revealing to me thru His Word, how much I need to extend and practice grace to my children. 

Yesterday the boys were arguing about specifics related to a kickball game they were playing outside.  As I overheard their tone and their words I recognized something.  I heard a lot of myself in their emotional & somewhat harsh words. At that point, I had two choices on how to handle this. 

One was that I could wing it and talk them thru this incident with my head knowledge, end up getting frustrated by the lack of success or I could bring them(and myself) to God's Word to reveal the heart issues they  (and I) were struggling with.  I decided God's Word was the correct path to take.   

It was a great experience for us all.  We all learned something together.  I didnt have to pretend that I knew all the answers.  I never have and I never will.  But we serve an all-knowing, powerful, amazing God who does.  And He left us with a mighty resource we can go to for any issue we face in this life.  

I saw this posting on pinterest this morning and it reminded me of the role God placed me in.  As a mom, I'm supposed to be nurturing, loving, kind, gentle, soft.  This world has made me hard at times, especially in my life before I was given the gift of grace by my Creator.  In difficult times my reflex reaction is to go to that hard place, but I need to practice remaining constant - to practice constraint, and to be that example of tenderness, kindness, faithfulness, goodness, virtuous, purity, and love that is missing in this world.


He makes everything beautiful in its time.  Ecclesiastes 3:11