Sharing is a Sacrifice

Do no forget to do good to others and to SHARE what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.  Hebrews 13:16

My oldest sister and her crew of three little ones will be filling our tiny home to the brim this coming week!  We will be going from "tiny home, BIG love" to "MEGA love"!  I am so excited about squeezing in together.  Our family is close!  We love being together and relishing every sweet minute of time God gives us.  I am looking forward to time with my sister, nieces and nephew…. letting the kids play, sounds of laughter (and crying, without a doubt), long talks with my big sister about life and the Lord.  There is little else in the world that brings me more pleasure than time with the ones I love!   Yes, there will be a lot of fun, but one thing is for sure…. there will be some cousin "sharing" issues.  And it's safe to say, most of them will have my two year old in the center of the fuss.  

"What's mine is mine and what's yours is mine."  Sound familiar?  Maybe you've heard it used by a woman directed toward her husband (in a joking way, of course).  Well, I have discovered that this is also the mentality of a toddler.  Teaching your little one to share is a tough task.  You talk about it with her and practice it together in your home, but when you are at your play date and it's time to put it into practice in the "toddler real world" it all flies out the window!  So when I found this week's verse in the Bible, it was ground-breaking!  The Bible says to share!  This is one of those treasures in Scripture that I could not have come across at a better time.  This is a great week to learn this verse and have it on our hearts and minds!

But while teaching your child to share is a tough task, I think it is a great task for us to learn as adults.  No matter how "spiritual" or "good" we may think we are (which, we truly are neither)… by nature we are totally selfish.  I openly admit that about myself.  There are just certain things I have a hard time sharing.  For example…. ice cream.  Long story, short version:  I selfishly ate the rest of the ice cream one night when Ken had already said he wanted some.  It was totally wrong of me.  All I could say for myself was that once I started eating it, I couldn't stop… it was so yummy!  Sorry babe!  That is a silly example, but if we really think about it, it is not always easy to do good for  others or to share the things we love the most.  It is most difficult when there is a cost involved, a personal inconvenience, when it isn't comfortable, or especially when it involves giving up something we feel entitled to.  In Hebrews 13:16 the Lord is telling us that doing good and sharing is a sacrifice.  A sacrifice never came without a cost…. something has to be given up in order to sacrifice.  There is a cost in putting others before yourself.  And the cost is your selfishness.

If you are a believer in Christ, verse 15 comes with great news!  It says that we offer God sacrifices of praise, not through our own power, but "through Jesus".  It is something we can not do on our own.  It is not something always natural for our children that they will always do on their own.  But through Christ we can!  I am excited to teach my daughter and nieces this sweet truth… that sharing and doing good makes God smile AND when it is not easy to do it on our own, we can rely on Him!  

Little Ears

Lately it has been pressed on my heart that my little ones are listening and watching all I say and do.  To think back on your words and tone throughout the day, a lot of truth can be revealed.  What is your attitude towards your husband?  your children?  meeting the needs of others?  Sometimes mine really stinks!  And when it stinks, it also weighs me down.  Anytime I've lost all patience or feel angry, it is an awful feeling!  And the worst part is how it permeates throughout our whole home, changing the tone and moods of all of us.  As I've thought about how infectious my bad attitude is, I've come to admit that my attitude definitely needs some adjusting.  I really struggle with that a lot… a good attitude, patience, understanding, forgiveness.  I want my words to show love, grace and speak His name.  That is one of the main reasons, as I have shared before, for teaching and memorizing Scripture with my family.  The more we learn and store it in our hearts, it is amazing how God brings that up in the right moments.  It is through the Word being alive in us, that the Holy Spirit can overcome our bad attitudes and bring forth sweet words filled with His love, His patience and His heart.  This week's verse is a guard to what we hear.  

"There is no one like you, O Lord,

and there is no God but you,

as we have heard with our own ears."

1 Chronicles 17:20

To even begin and explain the divinity of God, his sovereignty, holiness, omnipotence, self-existence is beyond what I am equipped to do… for that I will refer you to read The Knowledge of the Holy by A.W. Tozer and, especially, to spend time in the Word.  But, yes, we must teach our little ones that there is no one like our Lord and there is no God but Him!  We have heard this!  We know it is true!  We know he is majestic and powerful… we must pass it on to our children.  Those words should flow from our mouths into their sweet little ears daily.  Let them know however you can that He is great!  When you are in the car together or taking a walk, point out His creation… He made everything, even them!  My favorite Psalm, 139 says: "For you created my inmost being, you knit me together in my mother's womb.  I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful.  I know that full well."  We are wonderfully made because of our Creator… because He is wonderful and there is no one like Him, no God but Him.

I have to ask myself: What am I filling my own ears with?  or even my eyes?  Growing closer with Christ is a transformation, the process of your mind being renewed (Romans 12:2).  If we can pinpoint what is keeping our focus from Him, we should be quick to remove it.  After all, it will overflow from us into the ears of our children.  My prayer for myself (and you) is that I will speak more of the Lord in our home.  That I will tell my children everyday that there is no one like God.  That my lips will praise Him.  That He will be the foundation and center of our lives, first in everything.  That my attitude will be a reflection of the grace and forgiveness I have experienced and received from Him.  And that I will handle every situation with more grace every day as I hide myself more in Him.