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Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Do Not Lose Heart

2 Cor 4:  1 Therefore, since through God's mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart. 6 For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. 7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 16 Therefore we do not lose heart.  Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen.  For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.


Several months ago I read a devotion about motherhood as a ministry.   2 Cor 4:1 was part of that devotion and has since been my source of strength and encouragement as I go through the daily business of training my children.  It reminds me to stick with it when it’s tough and to call on Him and His mercy to get through the day.  It reminds me that I am blessed to have my children, especially as I think of those whose children are not with them.  It reminds me that I am called by God to be a mother (as one is called to any ministry).   And being called to ministry does not mean that I am already equipped for that ministry.  As the saying goes, “God does not call the equipped, He equips the called.”  

Everyday, I must ask Him to equip me for whatever comes my way.  Therefore we do not lose heart.  Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 2 Cor 4:16  Outwardly, I am exhausted and I probably look it sometimes.  Inwardly, I am renewed daily as I learn to trust God as my help in all I do.

I choose to focus on the high calling of training my children.  In the process of training them, I am learning and growing in my own faith.  It is unlikely that one would impart wisdom unto a child and not learn it herself!  Perhaps that is just what God intended.   I still need to foster my personal relationship with my Lord and Savior, but the time I spend teaching the Word to my children also brings it into my own heart.  Now, that certainly doesn’t mean it’s always easy to be an example to my children.  Gosh,  I want to yell and scream and throw a fit just the way they do some days (and, yes, I have)!  It is in those times that I have come to realize I must seek His mercy and guidance even more.  If we do that “…our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.  So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen.  For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” 2 Cor 4:1 7-18  My own and my children’s eternal salvation is more important than what is seen in the here and now.  And nothing I face in my daily life could EVER surpass what Jesus endured for me on the cross.  So, I choose to keep on with what's important and to give it ALL (the good, the bad and the ugly!) to Him.


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