Yesterday morning's Sunday School session especially impacted me for several reasons. The topic of the lesson was discernment, but the verse that caught me -almost violently, the way a fish might snag onto a hook- can be found in I Chronicles:"... men of Issachar, who understood the times and knew what Israel should do—200 chiefs, with all their relatives under their command... " (verse 32.)
The title of the section (in my New International Version Bible) is "Others Join David in Hebron," and indeed, the verses buffeting this 32nd one describe the epic military turn-out for David's struggle against Saul. There were representatives from every tribe of Israel, outfitted with "shield and spear" as well as "every type of weaponry", with some of the warriors being specifically noted as "young" and "brave," even "famous in their own clans" for their skills! Sitting amid all this gritty, hard-jawed description is verse 32 highlighting the men of Issachar, who understood the times and knew what Israel should do.
I have been convicted over the last few months to realize that mine is often a faith of psychological quick-fixes, of pleasant ideas and heart-turning songs but nothing genuinely inspiring and rousing enough to fortify me in true spiritual warfare. Admittedly, I often crumble when situations arise in my life when reliance on God is all I am left with. I am a control freak with a Plan A, B, and C; to find myself alone on a plateau with none of my plans immediately available to default to usually reduces me to frustration and, finally, ignorance.
As painful as it is face, I have reached a point in my spiritual maturation where the cruise control I have been speeding along to just can't cut it anymore. Ingesting a morning devotional that takes me 7 minutes to read and calling it a day won't satisfy my soul. Filling a basket at the Family Christian Store won't do it either. Regrettably, I have been treating my faith in Jesus Christ the way many of my generational peers pick and choose among the tenets of all faiths when deciding what is applicable to their lives (and existence in general): This works for now / Oooo, I like this / That inspires me! / Well, gosh, I guess I haven't prayed in awhile; but you know, life has been really good...
Our Sunday School lesson yesterday which highlighted the sons of Issachar also touched on the inevitable path our world is careening down. Whether we are literally close to that final upheaval or not, I can't say. And whether we are or not, I'm not ready. I don't understand the times -not in an encompassing, God-directed way- and I certainly do not, beyond bandaid moves that temporarily soothe my conscience, know what to do in response to the times.
As a wife, mother, and Christian, it is paramount that I do. In my adult life, I have segued from hot-headed, uninformed religious and political activism to a lazy, leery outsider unwilling to engage in anything that could result in a scratch. This slovenly deference will have a major impact on the men of faith my sons will grow into. And I will certainly not, having seen myself for where I am, continue down the way I'm going and leave them in the battle empty-handed.
I'm on a mission to:
a) Prayerfully consider (along with my husband) how we can better understand the times we are living in through God's eyes.
b) Follow up on this ongoing growth by developing a clear idea of how to respond to our expanding knowledge.
c) Consider how this applies to our future homeschooling approach, curriculum choices, and parenting in general.
Stay tuned!
*Image courtesy of http://www.freeimages.co.uk/
3 comments:
May I just say, AMEN! I clicked over here after putting up my (almost) daily post and saw I made it onto your favorites sidebar...only 2 minutes after posting! You are on top of things girl!
I am so in awe of the way you articulated this thought! I have been feeling the same thing lately, observing how many of us seem to just be good Christians but having little power. I heard a great quote the other day that has been bouncing around my head, I'll paraphrase the parts I didn't exactly catch word for word: Christians want to do enough to be respectable but not enough to be uncomfortable. I am too finding a quick time with God is not the answer, nor is Christian music, godly friends, or encouraging Christian blogs (with the exception of yours of course!;o).
Yes, it is vital that our lives and examples are so much more or else we risk passing on the same tepid faith to our children, all the while we pray that by some miracle they become men and women of great faith. How will they if we do not faithfully show them how to stand in increasingly darker days?
Thank you for this. I'm off to read this section of scripture and pray for God to open my eyes a little more.
Hugs, Dina
ps My word verification word is joyest. I think I'll add that new word to my vocabulary!
Very well said. I have such trouble getting these thoughts in my head to amount to any real directional decision. You said it for me :)
Above all, I want my daughters to grow up knowing and believing in Jesus as their very personal savior. But how can I help them do that if I myself am not befriending Jesus in a visible, everyday way?
You, my dear, are inspiring.
Great post - and things I need to consider for myself as well. If I really believe all that the Bible says (and I do), how can I be so casual about my faith? Definitely feel inspired by your words to do something about it!
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