If you love....

Today was a rough day.   Today was one of those days that you want to disown your kids.   Today was a day when the broken record that is mom, went all crazy and starting shooting records flying all over the place and sparks were coming from the electrical parts.   I feel like every day for me is a constant barraging of my kids to do their school work, do chores, treat the furniture with respect.   Actually, I think I should just create a recording of all the things I repeat all day to my kids. I am currently homeschooling 7 kids with a 5 year old preschooler hanging around too.  


My day consists of:
"Tom and Ken do your school work" (names changed to protect identities)


"Samantha and Elise do your school work"


"Aaron and Lenny, do your school work"


"Jason stop distracting Tom and Ken"


"Sandra, did you finish your school work?"


"Don't take the cushions off the couch!"


"Tom and Ken do your school work"


"Samantha and Elise do your school work"


"Somebody put the cushions back on the couch!"


"Jason come play over here, away from the twins"


"Is your school work done?"


"Is your school work done?"


"Is your school work done?"


Today I had enough.   I shut myself up in my room.   Cried a little.  And began to think.
It's like they don't even care?   I say the same things over and over and over and over.   I get angry.  I shout a little.   I end up shouting a lot.   It doesn't seem to matter.   Most days are the same. 


I feel like a broken record.  It's disheartening to feel like most words you say fall on deaf ears. 

I thought, "If they cared about me, they would listen!" And then the light bulb went off.   That sounded vaguely similar to a bible passage many of us are familiar with.  

John 14:23 (NIV)  Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.

Wow!  That put that scripture into a new light.  Jesus expects us to care about our relationship with Him and listen to His word.
 
My kids need me there watching like a hawk, to keep them on task.   But that's just not realistic for me to do.   I need them to be responsible and obey regardless.   The Bible tells us that Jesus has gone to prepare a place for us (John 14:3).   He is not here physically, but has given us a large set of instructions, the Bible.   If we love Him, if we truly care about Him, we will listen and obey.   That means digging in to learn what those instructions are first.   Secondly, not to just hear them, not to just read them, but to DO them!


The Bible says in James 1:22, "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says."  


This means if you are just listening to the Word, ie going to church, even reading the Bible, but are not putting it into practice and doing it, you are deceived.   Just as my kids think, mom hasn't said anything to us about playing video games or playing Barbies, so we can continue doing it.   They are deceived, for when mom shows up on the scene, truly they will be disciplined.    Do you want to be one of the ones that when God shows up on the scene, he says "I never knew you, you lovers of lawlessness".

Matthew 7:21  “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.  22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’  23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’

I encourage you today.   If you profess to love the Lord God and His son, Jesus Christ, obey his commandments.  Care enough to obey.  Repent from your sin and follow Him.