How did you do? Have you done your homework? I'm eager to hear your feedback - it's always a little strange getting started with a new study, especially by an author we're unfamiliar with. There's always kind of a "getting to know you" period between me and the book. So what did you think?
First off, the fact that Lesson 1 is about mentoring with an emphasis on discipline made me realize that God is up to something because the GWS book club that's running concurrently with this study is covering the same subject. We're reading "Parenting by The Book" and we're learning to recognize the culture's faulty parenting principles and replace them with reliable Biblical truth. So there has been a huge overlap in my reading and blogging this week. Of course this study really just scratches the surface of this topic. If you'd like to join us as we really dig deep into Biblically-based child rearing, check out the book club on this same blog.
I also listened to the audio teaching that goes with this lesson (scroll down to 2/10/04 and play or download), and I thought it was well worth the time. The speaker did a good job of fleshing out the workbook material and offering practical application for the basic principles.
To summarize, the author shows us scripturally that we are all called to pass along our faith to the next generation in some way, whether it be parenting and grandparenting (spellcheck wants to make this word "grandpa renting"! LOL), interaction with children and youth, mentoring other women, or some combination of the above. She then points us toward the qualities integral to Godly mentors and elaborates on two mentoring skills, encouragement and correction.
I found many of the questions to be somewhat obscure - not sure if I'm reading too much into them or not enough. If you were stumped by any in particular, we can compare answers via posting comments.
The question that grabbed my attention more than any other was #2 on page 16, which probes Proverbs 20:7. "The righteous man leads a blameless life; blessed are his children after him." The author asks, "Does this mean we must be perfect?" Trick question. We know that Jesus was and is the only perfect human being, and that besides him "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23) So what is the principle here? Try your hardest? Somehow that seems a little lame. And just how close do we have to come for our children to be blessed instead of cursed?
Here's what the Lord spoke to me through this verse. First of all, we must be careful not to turn it around and falsely conclude that a blameless life, even if achievable, would make us righteous. On the contrary, Ephesians 2:8&9 makes it clear that "it is by grace you have been saved,--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--not by works, so that no one can boast." There is nothing we can do to earn salvation from God. We could never be "good enough" no matter how hard we try. But thanks be to God, Jesus did all the work for us on the cross, and it is our acknowledgment of that and our submission to Jesus as Lord of our life that makes us acceptable to God. Grace is defined as giving what we do not deserve, and Jesus' perfect life and sacrifice on our behalf is that gift. Paul tells us elsewhere that "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus..." (Romans 8:1) "No condemnation" means that upon judgment we're declared "Not Guilty" - we are "blameless."
So to get back to the proverb, it is only by God's grace that we are considered righteous and blameless. "The righteous man leads a blameless life" is a proclamation of God's transforming love, rather than a challenge impossible to achieve. But the truth of that should indeed inspire us to lead Godly lives and demonstrate His goodness to others. We're commanded in Deuteronomy 6 to impress God's commands upon our children, and that is directly preceded by the command for us to "Love the LORD your God with all you heart and with all your soul and with all your strength." (Deuteronomy 6:5) If our focus is on our heavenly Father, and we rightfully live in gratitude for his most precious love for us, our relationship with Him can't help but spill over to our children and those around us. Loving God is the best thing we can do to bless our children.
Spend some quiet time with God this week. Thank him for his love. Ask him to draw you closer to him and to help you see your children and others through his eyes. Purposefully do something for someone just because God has done so much for you.
I pray God's blessing upon you and yours this week as we move on to Lesson 2 - "Fear" the Lord. Be sure to read "Table Talk" on page 26 & 27 as well.
Grace and peace,
Eleanor
Romans 12:2
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2 comments:
I completed lesson 1 but have not yet listened to the audio (which I will this week). Let me start by saying how great it is to be back in the Word as I use quiet time every morning to start the day, now with this study. It is amazing to me that many of the issues that are in this first lesson on mentoring have been on my mind as summer starts with my children. I am with them alot more and wonder if I am doing my best to raise them according to how God would want me to do so.
I especially thought about questions 4 and 5 regarding how to not 'exasperate' them and how to train them recognizing their unique differences. It made me realize that some of the teasing we do with my son does not fit his personality as well, and he shuts down, thus we lose opportunities to teach. He needs gentle encouragement to open his mind and try new things. I need to show him that it is okay to change, that we as his parents want him to grow, as well as God wanting him to grow. His fear of growth and learning is that of failure and that of being laughed at. I want him to embrace new things and be secure in the fact that God loves him and his parents love him even when he makes mistakes.
On the other hand, my daughter loves to be laughed at and teased a bit. She is eager to try new things, which brings me a bit of fear that she will be the kid that will try anything that comes along. I need to show her that God loves her but has 'rules' of right and wrong. She is a people pleaser, so I need to teach her self control and doing the right things in God's eyes, even if it means doing so may not be what her friends want.
I am not sure if this all makes sense, since you don't know my children and their unique differences and personalities. What I do hope you understand is that I feel that God is really speaking to me through this study, as I have prayed that he would guide me in parenting my children. I have tried this week, with success I may add, to implement what I have learned. I have gotten closer with my son and helped him overcome some small hurdles by being patient, encouraging, and using examples of myself and the struggles I sometimes experience with learning new things and keeping an open mind. It has brought joy to me to see God's Words of guidance put to use through me to mentor my son.
I am looking forward to the next lesson to see where that will lead. I hope you all will share some of your thoughts as well, as I believe strongly that we can all learn from each others' interpretations of the lesson.
Have a wonderful week-
Jennifer
Only got my book a few days ago, so I'm a little behind, only having partly finished Lesson 1 (which I find to be a metaphor for my life, where I am always slightly behind where I think I am supposed to be!).
I really identified with your comment, Eleanor, about it not being WORKS as related to question #2 on page 16. I struggle on an almost daily basis with letting go of the unrealistic expectations that I have for myself, the things I should do or be that I am somehow convinced everyone around me thinks I am falling short of. It hit me when looking at that qusetion that the imperfections I am worried about are actually very important, and more useful than any perfection I could ever demonstrate. Because my vulnerability shows that God's love isn't based on anything we can do or be, it is unconditional.
Question #3 on that same page rang a bell with me after having looked at the text about Mary and Elizabeth referenced up above. Elizabeth's confidence, acceptance and faith helped free Mary to rejoice in her own place in God's plan. What a great message!
As godly mentors, we can be a shelter, a warm and welcoming place of refuge that nourishes those we come in contact with and gives a secure foundation for exhorting them to grow to their full potential in the Lord. Sometimes all it takes is being in the place where we already are, living the lives we have been given with cheerful and thankful hearts, to make a difference to everyone we meet.
I keep thinking that I need to be or achieve some standard that the world sets in order to be acceptable, but all along God keeps reminding me that He just wants me to be available, to listen (to Him first), and to be a servant where He has put me. My willingness to serve is all it takes for everything else to fall into place!
I'm heading into the whole section on encouragement vs. correction now, and feeling a bit sorry for my almost grown children as I do. I tend to be a critical person, so I'm certain that my encouraging skills need to develop some muscles! I really enjoyed your comments, Jennifer, about mentoring the differing personalities of your children. My daughter and son are extremely different as well, and it has been a challenge to give them what they need to blossom.
We will be on the road this coming week, so posting may be impossible until the 2nd or 3rd of July when we get back. Perhaps by then I will be fully caught up!
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