Two opportunities to share the gospel before 7am!

We get up early in our household, actually make that 5 out of 6 of us get up early!. By early I mean between 5 and 6 am. I am usually the first up, then the dog, then our youngest, and then the others start coming out anywhere from 6am onwards.

The other morning during my devotions I asked God to help me be patient, self controlled and unconditionally loving towards my family.

It didn't take long before He allowed an opportunity to answer my prayer! Before we got to the breakfast table (which is around 6:30am) I gave warnings to my son who was not responding to my answers with a 'happy heart!'. This attitude carried over to breakfast time and it wasn't long before he was sent to his room to think about how he was responding. During this time, I talked to him about his heart, in particular his selfishness, and I told how this was sin, and then reminded him why Jesus came and shared the gospel message with him.

In his book Shepherding a Child's heart Tedd Tripp writes,

You need to shepherd your children in the ways of God at all times. There is, however, no more powerful time to press the claims of the gospel than when your children are being confronted with their need of Christ's grace and power during discipline. When the wax is soft during discipline, the time is right to impress the glories of Christ's redemption.

The gospel message is so powerful and I need to recognise the many opportunities I have been given as a parent to present and impress this into the hearts of my children.

It was only minutes after I had spoken with my son that I had to take my 4 year old daughter into her room and talk to her about her disobedience, another opportunity to share the gospel of Jesus Christ!

All this happened before 7am!

There is such joy in seeing selfish and disobedient hearts turned into ones that have been forgiven and restored.

Needless to say I was incredibly thankful to God for granting me the patience and self control I asked for!

Let patience have its perfect work

I have decided to read the book of James for this month of January.

The first few verses start off with.

My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials,

knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.

But let patience have its perfect work,

that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

James 1:2-3

We experienced one of those trials the other night, and after reading these verses again, it made me think that sometimes trials like the one we had, may just happen to let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete lacking nothing.

No matter how big or small the trial, they all test our faith. Am I still trusting and holding on to God even when it seems like everything is turning out wrong, or I just don't know how I will make it through.

It is comforting to know that God IS doing something, even if its just to perfect my patience.

There are so many little things that happen day by day that try my patience, my children are great instruments to teach it to me.

Sometimes when I reflect upon my day, I am rather horrified to look at the times I lose my patience over something so insignificant, and....selfish!

So often it definitely is a lack of trust thing. I have things planned out in my head the way I think they should go, when they don't turn out that way, I start to lose patience and get frustrated. Instead of trusting Him with all my heart I fall into leaning on my own understanding.

But...I am thankful for the many times the Holy Spirit has led me back to look to Him, to make the choice to trust in God and have faith in Him and His plans, they always are the best way.

And the peace that takes over is so wonderfully freeing, I no longer have to worry that we are running late, that we won't get to the toilet in time, that the kids are getting restless and fidgety while we are waiting for someone.... I just hand it over to God and He grants me the peace, and ability to be patient!

I have been meditating on this verse of late.

..being confident of this very thing, He who began a good work in you

will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.

Philippians 1:6

For the first time I realised that He will still be working on me until the day of Jesus Christ, which may not happen until long after I have left this earth.

So in Heaven, He will still be working on me, if I haven't learned the patience thing!

I am looking forward to that day in sooo many ways!!