Love Mom
When I got up this morning and turned on the living room lamp, a sale flyer that had slipped to the floor caught my eye. It was upside down from where I was standing, but I could still read the words LOVE MOM printed in large type at the top of the page.
Obviously, they want you to buy something from their store to show love for your mother, but the words of John 14:15 immediately popped into my head, “If you love me, keep my commands."
I thought of some frustrating moments over the past few days, trying to get my children to follow through on what had been asked of them.
"If you love me, keep my commands." Just seven simple words, yet they sum it all up.
My children are old enough now to understand Mother's Day, and they always want to do something special for me on that day. They give a gift, they make dinner so I don't have to cook (usually with a great deal of help from Dad), and they are extra sweet...
On THAT day.
I realized this morning that what I really want for Mother's Day is the essence of those seven simple words.
"If you love me, keep my commands."
I don't want a gift - I want obedience.
I don't want a special dinner - I want help with dinner each day.
I don't want platitudes on a special day - I want peaceful attitudes every day.
It occurred to me that that is exactly what my Heavenly Father wants from me!
In 1 Samuel 15:22-23 God is speaking to King Saul through His prophet Samuel. Saul has willfully defied God, yet he believes that he can still just put on an aire of worship and everything will be fine. This is what God has to say about it:
But Samuel replied,
“What is more pleasing to the LORD:
your burnt offerings and sacrifices
or your obedience to his voice?
Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice,
and submission is better than offering the fat of rams.
God does not want me to sing praise to Him on Sunday and ignore Him on Monday.
He does not want me to say I trust Him, but stay awake at night worrying.
He does not want me to obey when I think that someone is watching,
but compromise when I think I am alone.
He wants me to LOVE Him
- - and PROVE it by the way that I live...
In the same way that I want my children to love me.
"If you love me, keep my commands."
Obviously, they want you to buy something from their store to show love for your mother, but the words of John 14:15 immediately popped into my head, “If you love me, keep my commands."
I thought of some frustrating moments over the past few days, trying to get my children to follow through on what had been asked of them.
"If you love me, keep my commands." Just seven simple words, yet they sum it all up.
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| photo credit |
My children are old enough now to understand Mother's Day, and they always want to do something special for me on that day. They give a gift, they make dinner so I don't have to cook (usually with a great deal of help from Dad), and they are extra sweet...
On THAT day.
I realized this morning that what I really want for Mother's Day is the essence of those seven simple words.
"If you love me, keep my commands."
I don't want a gift - I want obedience.
I don't want a special dinner - I want help with dinner each day.
I don't want platitudes on a special day - I want peaceful attitudes every day.
It occurred to me that that is exactly what my Heavenly Father wants from me!
In 1 Samuel 15:22-23 God is speaking to King Saul through His prophet Samuel. Saul has willfully defied God, yet he believes that he can still just put on an aire of worship and everything will be fine. This is what God has to say about it:
But Samuel replied,
“What is more pleasing to the LORD:
your burnt offerings and sacrifices
or your obedience to his voice?
Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice,
and submission is better than offering the fat of rams.
Rebellion is as sinful as witchcraft,
and stubbornness as bad as worshiping idols.
So because you have rejected the command of the LORD,
he has rejected you as king.”
1 Samuel 15:22-23and stubbornness as bad as worshiping idols.
So because you have rejected the command of the LORD,
he has rejected you as king.”
God does not want me to sing praise to Him on Sunday and ignore Him on Monday.
He does not want me to say I trust Him, but stay awake at night worrying.
He does not want me to obey when I think that someone is watching,
but compromise when I think I am alone.
He wants me to LOVE Him
- - and PROVE it by the way that I live...
In the same way that I want my children to love me.
"If you love me, keep my commands."