I am realizing that I am a visual learner. Object lessons stick with me. I may even be able to tell you what you were wearing when we met. (However, for the life of me I will probably not remember your name until after the 4th time. Go figure.) Because of this learning style, I love spending time with people and families whom I respect. I learn so much from just observing them and how they interact and respond.
On one such recent occasion, I observed my friend respond to her son in a way I realized I was not doing. We were eating dinner and her son made a request. "Mom, can you get me another tortilla?" It was something this child could have grabbed himself. In my home, I would have said, "You are 2 feet away from this. Don't be lazy and just grab it yourself." Or maybe not quite so mean and at least said politely, "Oh you can just grab it." But, that is not how my friend responded. She said in the most cheerful way, "Sure." That's it. I was convicted. I have been working with my kids on responding cheerfully to requests made of them. When I worked a secular job, if my boss made a request of me, I always tried to respond cheerfully with, "Sure. I'd love to." Did I feel like I'd love doing it? 99% of the time, NO. You may say, "You lied Danielle!" I used to think that too. Until I realized the answer to this question, does my heart love and want to serve? YES. Therefore, I was not lying. It was truth. My heart's desire is always greater than my flesh. All that to say, I want my kids to have the heart of a servant and respond cheerfully. BUT HOW CAN I EXPECT THEM TO DO SOMETHING THAT I DON'T EVEN DEMONSTRATE IN FRONT OF THEM?
If I want my kids to have the heart of a servant, then I need to live that out in front of them... not just to others, but to THEM. They need to see it and experience it. Paul said in the New Testament, Imitate me as I imitate Christ. Isn't this how it should be? Our children will learn to imitate Christ by watching us do so.
So, in light of all this, the past month I have been working on my responses to my children's requests. When the answer is "yes," I have been answering with a very cheerful, "Sure." Have they noticed? I doubt it. They probably just think, "Mom's in a good mood today. She must have had extra coffee." LOL
Today was one such moment where I had an opportunity to respond cheerfully. My 3 year old asked me to turn on a movie. I said real cheerful, "Sure." He says, "Mommy, are you turning it on cuz I asked so nice?" My immediate thought was, "Pffft. No. I am turning it on because I want to show you I am nice, and how to respond to requests." BOOM. Immediately I was convicted. Again. So often we think our Father God answers our prayers because WE prayed so hard. Or, WE had enough faith. Or, maybe it was because I spent so much time in prayer. In 3 year old terms, "Cuz we asked so nice." Don't get me wrong...these are all very important. But may I suggest to you, that perhaps God answers our prayers because of who HE is? I wanted to turn on that movie, not based on anything to do with my son at all. I wanted to show him how to respond cheerfully to requests. I wanted to reflect the Father to him.
God wants to respond to us because HE is good. He wants to be generous to us so that we may bring Him glory by being generous to others. "Freely you have received. Freely give." (Matthew 10:8) "As Christ has forgiven you so you must also forgive others." (Col. 3:13)
The two motives I had with my son was,
1. To show him an identity.
2. To teach him a response.
These are the VERY SAME MOTIVES God has in responding to us.
1. To show us HIS identity of who He is.
2. To teach us how we in turn should respond to others.
This life is all about loving God and loving people. When we do these things, we bring glory to the Father. When the Father gives to us, we can't help but love Him more. Yes, God brings healing, provision, and life to us because HE loves us. But ultimately, He does everything for HIS glory. The greater revelation we have of who He is, the greater glory it brings Him. When you become full of awe over who He is and what He has done, you can't help but share it with others. Again, bringing Him glory. When you know Him, you love Him. You can't love someone you don't know. God gives not based on our works and efforts, but based on WHO HE IS. The bible says that He gave his son to die for us while we were yet sinners. We deserve hell. He gave while we didn't deserve it. This is WHO.HE.IS! Every good and perfect gift comes from heaven because HE is good and perfect. There is never a moment we deserve anything from Him.
God longs to display Himself to us. That is why He loves when you ask. He says, "You have not because you ask not." (Matthew 7:7) Every prayer request is an opportunity for God to reveal Himself to you, causing you to fall more in love with Him, and thus causing you to overflow HIM to others, thus bringing Him glory. Do you see the big picture?
So the next time you talk to your Father-God, picture Him with a smile saying, "Sure. I'd love to." Let it shape who He is to you so that you may fall more in love with Him.
And now, if my friend only knew what her simple, "SURE" has given me, she would probably laugh. Did she know that her "sure" would spill God on me? Did she know it would then impact me, my family, my prayer life, and my perception of the Father? Probably not. But I am "sure" glad it did. (pun intended. :-)
On one such recent occasion, I observed my friend respond to her son in a way I realized I was not doing. We were eating dinner and her son made a request. "Mom, can you get me another tortilla?" It was something this child could have grabbed himself. In my home, I would have said, "You are 2 feet away from this. Don't be lazy and just grab it yourself." Or maybe not quite so mean and at least said politely, "Oh you can just grab it." But, that is not how my friend responded. She said in the most cheerful way, "Sure." That's it. I was convicted. I have been working with my kids on responding cheerfully to requests made of them. When I worked a secular job, if my boss made a request of me, I always tried to respond cheerfully with, "Sure. I'd love to." Did I feel like I'd love doing it? 99% of the time, NO. You may say, "You lied Danielle!" I used to think that too. Until I realized the answer to this question, does my heart love and want to serve? YES. Therefore, I was not lying. It was truth. My heart's desire is always greater than my flesh. All that to say, I want my kids to have the heart of a servant and respond cheerfully. BUT HOW CAN I EXPECT THEM TO DO SOMETHING THAT I DON'T EVEN DEMONSTRATE IN FRONT OF THEM?
If I want my kids to have the heart of a servant, then I need to live that out in front of them... not just to others, but to THEM. They need to see it and experience it. Paul said in the New Testament, Imitate me as I imitate Christ. Isn't this how it should be? Our children will learn to imitate Christ by watching us do so.
So, in light of all this, the past month I have been working on my responses to my children's requests. When the answer is "yes," I have been answering with a very cheerful, "Sure." Have they noticed? I doubt it. They probably just think, "Mom's in a good mood today. She must have had extra coffee." LOL
Today was one such moment where I had an opportunity to respond cheerfully. My 3 year old asked me to turn on a movie. I said real cheerful, "Sure." He says, "Mommy, are you turning it on cuz I asked so nice?" My immediate thought was, "Pffft. No. I am turning it on because I want to show you I am nice, and how to respond to requests." BOOM. Immediately I was convicted. Again. So often we think our Father God answers our prayers because WE prayed so hard. Or, WE had enough faith. Or, maybe it was because I spent so much time in prayer. In 3 year old terms, "Cuz we asked so nice." Don't get me wrong...these are all very important. But may I suggest to you, that perhaps God answers our prayers because of who HE is? I wanted to turn on that movie, not based on anything to do with my son at all. I wanted to show him how to respond cheerfully to requests. I wanted to reflect the Father to him.
God wants to respond to us because HE is good. He wants to be generous to us so that we may bring Him glory by being generous to others. "Freely you have received. Freely give." (Matthew 10:8) "As Christ has forgiven you so you must also forgive others." (Col. 3:13)
The two motives I had with my son was,
1. To show him an identity.
2. To teach him a response.
These are the VERY SAME MOTIVES God has in responding to us.
1. To show us HIS identity of who He is.
2. To teach us how we in turn should respond to others.
This life is all about loving God and loving people. When we do these things, we bring glory to the Father. When the Father gives to us, we can't help but love Him more. Yes, God brings healing, provision, and life to us because HE loves us. But ultimately, He does everything for HIS glory. The greater revelation we have of who He is, the greater glory it brings Him. When you become full of awe over who He is and what He has done, you can't help but share it with others. Again, bringing Him glory. When you know Him, you love Him. You can't love someone you don't know. God gives not based on our works and efforts, but based on WHO HE IS. The bible says that He gave his son to die for us while we were yet sinners. We deserve hell. He gave while we didn't deserve it. This is WHO.HE.IS! Every good and perfect gift comes from heaven because HE is good and perfect. There is never a moment we deserve anything from Him.
God longs to display Himself to us. That is why He loves when you ask. He says, "You have not because you ask not." (Matthew 7:7) Every prayer request is an opportunity for God to reveal Himself to you, causing you to fall more in love with Him, and thus causing you to overflow HIM to others, thus bringing Him glory. Do you see the big picture?
So the next time you talk to your Father-God, picture Him with a smile saying, "Sure. I'd love to." Let it shape who He is to you so that you may fall more in love with Him.
And now, if my friend only knew what her simple, "SURE" has given me, she would probably laugh. Did she know that her "sure" would spill God on me? Did she know it would then impact me, my family, my prayer life, and my perception of the Father? Probably not. But I am "sure" glad it did. (pun intended. :-)
