| | Great link: Life changing.
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lunch time! Going to take a little time here to answer a question:
"How do you, as a mom of many kids, make time or maintain a relationship with God?"
It's different for everyone but here are some thoughts along those lines.
-Make it simple, don't put expectations on myself that are really not do-able at this time in my life.
-Remember that relationship with God is not a list of rules on how to have a quiet time. Relationship with God doesn't mean that I do not completely and 100% give myself to my husband and children in time, devotion, and work.
-Talk to HIM all day long whether it's outloud or silent - live out relationship like I would with anyone else: communicate. Prayer is not just talking, it's listening too. Driving in the car always works for me with this. The kids and I take time to pray when we ride in the car.
-Leave the Bible on the bed or table all day.
As I go throughout the day I stop, even for a brief second and read - even if it's just one verse over and over - I mediate on that throughout the day as I work. Some days I seek to memorize just that one verse from that day. This really works for me right now with eight kids. I open up the Bible on my bed each morning and I go by there often during my day and I stop and read and "eat" and be fed.
-Before getting out of bed, unless there is an "emergency" :) - which we all know happens a lot! - Pray, even if it's just for a few minutes, even seconds. I do this each morning, even if it's just praying collectively for my husband and children or just say, "Help, Lord, I need you once more this day as I did yesterday. Walk with me." Sometimes I just lie there and wait on Him to speak. Sometimes it's just a quiet fellowship of knowing He is with me at the beginning of each day, allowing Him to hug me, and me lying there resting in it.
-Another thing that has aided me is the blog I linked above at the top of this post. This is the one blog I subscribe to. When it comes in I leave the post open on my computer so that I can read it at some point in my day. This usually takes place during little girl's nap time. It's short posts, thought provoking, and teaches me His Word. It's simple and to the point.
-Another thing that is wonderful is MUSIC - worship is key to keeping my spirit right and calm before the Lord and with my family. Not just listening, but singing out loud. I know everyone is wired differently, but worship in this way is a real connect for me to Him.
-Journaling. This isn't a must for me, but I do find that when I write I can commune with God in a way I might not find the words, feelings or thoughts for otherwise. Writing, ever since I was ten, has been a huge way in which God and I communicate. It's a time of fellowship for me.
There is nothing quite like getting a huge chunk of time to spend with God in the quiet. I would have to get up in the middle of the night for this to take place around here. Sometimes I do. But that doesn't always happen right now in this season of life - but that doesn't mean that I can't still grow and commune in my relationship with God. Fellowship with Him is still possible and sweet!
And a necessity to being the wife and mother I long to be.
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Relationship with God is not going to look the same for any of us, but the real deal will bring forth fruit in our lives and will give us what we need in order to fulfill our highest calling down here on this earth - to love God and love others.
Don't take a list of how someone else does it, or says to do it, and make it yours. Ask God to show you what it is for you. Ask Him to give you a desire to know Him. If the desire is there, the time will be too, no matter how many kids you have or how busy you are.
Remember that fellowship with God and relationship with Him is LIVING out our lives for His glory. Do not think that just because you can't do what you did when you were single or had one child that you are less spiritual now because you don't have quite the time you did then. Or the feelings you did then.
Neglecting husband or children to be "spiritual" is not relationship with God. Our highest call is love. To love God is to love others. God knows the season and calling we are in. It is a glorious one. He is glorified in our mothering just as much as if we took an hour to pray in quiet.
Do everything we do for Him - that is relationship with Him. It is an act of WORSHIP to do the dishes, to wash, clean, read to our children, to kiss and love on our husband, to drive to all the events the kids must be at, to make the meals, whatever. . . these are acts of worship to our God! Isn't that awesome?!
Our lives are to be for Him and if we think we are less spiritual because we aren't doing some ten step list of how-tos to have a quiet time, or involved in all the Bible studies, or leading some kind of prayer meeting, or quietly praying hours up on hours, or fill in the blank - then we've got a wrong view, and me-centered view, a works centered view of the gospel and relationship with Jesus.
If you have a burden you are carrying because you are under the law and not living by grace in this way, let me encourage you to release your burden of "good works" to God and get right with Him by repenting and asking Him to give you freedom to live your life, all you do, as in worship to Him, as in relationship to Him.
If you have lost your first love and have let your relationship with God fall to the wayside, let me encourage you to take baby steps not some huge leap. He has never let you go. He is waiting ~ willing and loving! Don't make a list of rules for getting back to Him. Just go to Him, like you would getting to know anyone.
Maybe just start right now, saying, "God, I've not spent time with You and I want to. Forgive me for thinking I can survive on my own. I cannot. . . " And just talk to Him. He is listening. He longs to have fellowship with you.
Maybe leave your Bible open somewhere in the house you pass by often and determine through His strength to take in His Word and mediate on whatever verse it is that you pick to read. Ask God to sink it into your soul.
I don't know what it will be for you.
But we are useless without Him and all we do is worthless unless we are doing it for Him and living out relationship with Jesus Christ. May we go throughout our day living in His presence, not because we are sitting dutifully reading a full book of the Bible or in neglect of our children praying for one solid hour alone, but because He is inside of us and He is walking there with us and we have the awesome privilege of communing with Him in all that we do, where ever we might be.
We have the wonderful calling of living out before our children what it means that God is REAL. He is the best and truest Father and He is right here, right now! with us!
It's a resolve2worship, a resolve2fellowship with Him. . . because HE has done a work in our hearts and lives.
To Him be all glory and honor.
A. Ann
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| | Posted 1/9/2012 12:21 PM - 1285 Views
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