Strength, Courage, and Success
"Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go ... for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:7,9b
Whether we can readily articulate it or not, we all have a list of desires for our children. At times, this list can be too long, too demanding, too unrealistic, and in all honesty, too important. Many a child has been crushed under the weight of their parents' expectations. I've had to come face to face with some wrong-headed desires I've had for my children more often then I care to admit. On paper, the desires seem reasonable and even responsible. However, regardless of whether or not the problem is intrinsic to the desire or whether it's in the communication of said desire, the results are often times ... bad. Hurt feelings, mistrust, and questioned love are a few of the examples of bad results. Wouldn't it be great if God in is word would lay out a concise list of desires? While he's at it, how about the path to seeing those desires realized?
Enter Joshua and the Israelites, God's children. What did God say that he desired for his children? He wanted them to be strong. He wanted them to be courageous. He wanted them to be successful.
Wow! I like that list, for my kids as well as myself. Strength in adversity. Courageous in battle. Successful in life's missions. That's the kind of life that's worth living. But how? "Be careful to obey..." and "the Lord your God will be with you." Hmmm ... It is obedience and the "with-ness" of God that will produce the "Wow!-ness" of life.
Maybe the next time we're asked about what we want for our kids, we can tell people, "I want the same thing that God wants for his kids, including me. I want my kids to be strong. I want them to be courageous. I want them to be successful. Therefore, I must lead a home that honors God's commands and celebrates God's presence."
Grace and Peace,
Tom
Whether we can readily articulate it or not, we all have a list of desires for our children. At times, this list can be too long, too demanding, too unrealistic, and in all honesty, too important. Many a child has been crushed under the weight of their parents' expectations. I've had to come face to face with some wrong-headed desires I've had for my children more often then I care to admit. On paper, the desires seem reasonable and even responsible. However, regardless of whether or not the problem is intrinsic to the desire or whether it's in the communication of said desire, the results are often times ... bad. Hurt feelings, mistrust, and questioned love are a few of the examples of bad results. Wouldn't it be great if God in is word would lay out a concise list of desires? While he's at it, how about the path to seeing those desires realized?
Enter Joshua and the Israelites, God's children. What did God say that he desired for his children? He wanted them to be strong. He wanted them to be courageous. He wanted them to be successful.
Wow! I like that list, for my kids as well as myself. Strength in adversity. Courageous in battle. Successful in life's missions. That's the kind of life that's worth living. But how? "Be careful to obey..." and "the Lord your God will be with you." Hmmm ... It is obedience and the "with-ness" of God that will produce the "Wow!-ness" of life.
Maybe the next time we're asked about what we want for our kids, we can tell people, "I want the same thing that God wants for his kids, including me. I want my kids to be strong. I want them to be courageous. I want them to be successful. Therefore, I must lead a home that honors God's commands and celebrates God's presence."
Grace and Peace,
Tom
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