Respect

To the son or daughter who has told their father, “respect is earned not given”; to the son or daughter who is in the early stages of venturing out on their own and have found it is not as easy as they told the world it was going to be; to the children moving into adulthood and finding it pretty tough to do and be who they dreamed of do you see now why your father and mother deserve your respect, even though you can’t see why in that moment? If your mom and dad love, listen to, and obey God’s commandments then it is the children’s duty and privilege to respect and honor them. First because God says to and second because they have come through all the things you are struggling with now and they continue to make it work so that your family can function the way God intended. So look around when you are struggling, for it is always a good idea to ask God, “What would you have me learn from this?” He might just remind you of some things you need to make right before you can move forward.

There is a third reason but like number two it must be experienced not lectured and that one comes when you have children of your own. Learning is a life-long adventure so don't be quick to disregard the contributions of others, especially those older than you.

 

Trials

Christians have it wrong, going through a big trial that is at the outer reaches of how much you can take is not a sign that God thinks you are strong. No the enemy has simply lied to us, instead it is a sign that God knows just how much we need Jesus and He is waiting for us to give up control. If we fail it is only because we did not fully surrender to the Lordship of Jesus Christ but not once does it show how strong people are. How can we be sure of this... because the Bible instructs us that God is a jealous God and will not accept glory meant for Him to be given to someone or something else. You see if we could will ourselves out of our own troubles then Jesus came to us and died for us without cause, we marginalize the very work that has the power to save us! Inside you and I know that’s not the case because we have seen the difference between living a hollow life and one that is filled with Jesus. The Christian who depends on his own strength points to one whose spirit is deprived of spiritual nutrients and has become the very thing he’s trying not to be – weak because he limits God’s power in his life! For our own good while Jesus waits on us He also prays for us and if we are listening and obedient the Holy Spirit leads us back to the Father. Thankfully God’s mercy and grace are bigger than our ability to make a mess of things and His love is greater than we could possibly understand. That’s right the duration of our own trials has more to do with our ability to listen and learn than it does our strength or will power. So the next time you hear a motivational speech about how strong you are weigh it carefully with how long to want to continue in these difficulties  or how quickly you want them to return. The real question is are you willing to lay down your own pride in order to make progress in this journey or will you remain stuck and pretend to be strong?