I don't teach for my glory

I have been realising that sometimes I am so focused on making parents of my students like me that I forget that I am teaching for God's glory, not my own.  God created these children and soninmist teach and care for them as his prized possessions.  I need not teach so that parents will appreciate me.  I need to simply teach as God would have me and let Him take care of what people think of me.  I teach for His glory alone.

Raising Effective Children Series (by Chip Ingram)

It is important that our kids do not feel like we are always down on them.  We need to develop relationships with them that they cherish, value and enjoy.  This increases the likihood that they will choose to follow the ways that you value - the ways of Christ Jesus.

Look them on the eye when you talk to your kids.  Give them your full attention.

Have dinner together

Plan fun activities together.  Get family time scheduled on the calendar.

Model for your children Christ-likeness.

When raising your kids, it is important to know what the foal is.  The goal needs to be to raise them to be like Christ.  When you have the goal in mind it helps tkndirect your steps.

When I am weak, then I am strong

I have always had a hard time completely understanding what the verse 2 Corinthians 12:9-10.  God has been revealing to me through Chuck Swindoll what Paul meant by these verses.  It is that divine strength comes when human weakness is evident.  When we are weak, Christ moves and shows up when we need Him, making His power that much note clear and obvious in our lives.  For these reasons we can "boast in our weaknesses" because it is cool when God shows up.

When I know that I can't do something, or am struggling to do it, I can rely on God and His strength alone to get me through.  When I am in a position of weakness and need to rely on God's strength to do something, His strength is that much more evident in my weakness.  The important thing to realize though is that I need to always surrender myself to Him and His strength.  There will never be a time where I should be relying on myself to accomplish anything.  He has blessed me with talents and abilities, and I should work to develop them, but regardless of how competent I become in something, I need to be surrendering all of my efforts to His power and strength, because I am always weak, and He is always strong.  Anything I ever accomplish is always directly related to how He chooses to bless my efforts.  This is the case for things I am naturally good at, or things I am not good at.  His strength and sovereignty is what determines outcomes.  I just need to get out of my own way and surrender to Him.

The fact that the outcomes are always directly related to how He chooses to bless my efforts is another form of recognizing that I am weak and He is strong.  For instance, I can be the best in teh world at something, but God can always make the results of my efforts less than favourable.  I must never look at the results of my efforts being solely dependent upon myself.  I must humbly recognize that God always has the final say in all results and circumstances.  I should have confidence in my abilities, for this is a way that I can work to perform my best.  If I am not confident, I will not perform as well as I will if I am confident; however, I need to always ensure that I am fully aware of the fact that God is in complete control, and it is important that I always humbly fear Him and place myself in a position of weakness, recognizing that I am weak, but HE IS ALWAYS STRONG!

Surrender and Obedience

The following stems from Dr. Tony Evans in his small group study "Destiny".

It is important to always be aligning ourselves with Christ in obedience.  When we align ourselves in these ways, it positions us to be used by the Lord and to be guided by Him more smoothly due to the fact that I am not getting in the way.  

A couple really good analogies from Dr. Tony Evans are as follows.  When a father takes his young child in his lap and let's them steer the golf cart, the father is controlling the pedal and the brake.  He is also holding a couple fingers at the bottom of the wheel.  This so that the child can still experience driving, have fun, but be kept safe and get to the destination.  As Christians we need to position ourselves in our Father's lap.  We need to enjoy doing our best, but surrender to His overall guidance, protection and wisdom.  We must allow Himsurrendered where He wants me, otherwise I will most certainly crash and definitely not end up where is best.  

Another great analogy from Dr. Evans has to do with how we as Christians can be far too easily pleased, and how we often feel like we know what is best.  We are like the daughter who asks her daddy for a nickel, but all he has is a twenty.  He wants to give her the great gift of the twenty dollar bill, but she gets cranky and upset because she had her eyes set on the nickel.  She doesn't understand the fact that the twenty is many times greater a gift than the nickel.  It is so important to remained surrendered and allow God to lead us where He wants us.  He has "plans to prosper is, five us a hope and a future".  We must not be so ignorant and set our sights on the nickels we think we want in life, but rather wait patiently on the Lord and surrender to Him and allow Him to lead us to the place of good and prosperity that He has for us.  Stop thinking you know what is best for you.  Stop thinking you would be happy with your goals and dreams (unless For is leading you to them).  Allow God to lead you to where He wants you.  That leads to the greatest joy.

Fear of death cannot be of God

Since the Holy Spirit lives within me, any fear if death cannot be of Him and must be of Satan.  God has given us a "Spirit of courage".  The Holy Spirit that lives inside of me is one if courage, and so any fears are not of God.  He wouldn't lead me to be fearful because it goes against His character.  I must allow His character, that which lives inside me to come through.  I must see all fear as from the evil one, speak against it, and pursue the confidence that is living within me through Christ.

Consider it joy to face persecution

Acts 5:41-42

These verses show apostles who had just been brutally tortured and flogged.  Yet they went right back to preaching for Jesus.  They were excited to have been considered worthy by God to suffer for His name.  I must have this same attitude and be bold and confident in preaching for Him.

A Spirit of Power

2 Timothy 1:6-9

This verse says very clearly that God has given us a Spirit of "power, love and self-discipline".  This is the Holy Spirit living inside me.  Therefore, if the Holy Spirit is living inside me, I must work to have the same qualities as that of the Holy Spirit.  And the Holy Spirit is within me, working and interceding on my behalf to help me become these ways.

I not only can be these ways, I must be these ways, for this are the characteristics of the Holy Spirit.

A time for everything - Ecclesiastes

God is sovereign.  Part of His sovereignty is the fact that He uses each and every situation for His glory and purposes.  Even bad situations He will use.  This is incredibly comforting and gives tremendous confidence and peace to those of us who place our trust in Him.  "What Satan meant for evil, God uses for good."

The world is cursed by sin.  This is a devastating reality.  The good thing however is that God has overcome the curse of sin.  Therefore we can live in complete confidence knowing that He lives within us, is completely sovereign and will use every situation to further His Kingdom, and at the same time, He has great plans for us and wants to bless us.

It is important to accept God's timing and purposes in every season of life.  If I don't do this I will be a very bitter person.  It is imperative that I live thankful and surrendered to the Lord at all times.

How foolish of me to think that I know what is best for me.  How ignorant of me.  I must be surrendered to the one who created me and died for me.

Savor the gift of every moment in life.  Enjoy it.   We have Christ!  Enjoy life being surrendered to Him.