Teaching Tuesday / "Endless Ease?"

Bossy, my calf, is just like most of us. He thinks he's the BOSS, or he wants to be ( that's kind of like me also!)

Where in the world did I get the notion that life was supposed to be one big party of endless ease? I mean my goodness; I've read the Book!

Jesus said, ". . . For in this unbelieving world you will experience trouble and sorrows, but you must be courageous, for I have conquered the world!" (John 16:33 TPT)

Reading that, I'm like really?!?! Knowing that He never lies, I know His word is TRUTH, so why do I keep longing for easy peasy? Why do I want all the negative circumstances , Covid 19, rioting, evil in high places in our government, fires, floods, earthquakes, wayward children, etc. to all just disappear?

I've been pondering these thoughts, and I believe in part it could be the way I was taught. Salvation was presented a lot like this.

"You don't want to burn in hell do you? That's where bad people go. Accept Jesus, everything will be great, and then when you die you get to go to Heaven."

How many of you know that the phrase "everything will be great" is a lie! I think that a lot of us who where raised with those teachings are still trying to come to terms with the reality that JESUS is GREAT, but everything else . . . ugh . . . not so much! I think that some of my problem is trying to create the perfection here, so sometimes I just check out pretending permanent vaca here as If I were already there. Does that make sense to anyone? Surely, I can't be the only one wanting the nastiness of the world to just go away! Just a break from all the craziness . . .

What I'm learning - slowly I might add - is that I wasn't created for a life of comfort. Rest in Jesus! Yes! But not just breezing my way through life where it's all about me getting what I want, doing what I want, when I want it. (Kinda like Bossy the calf who thinks the entire world revolves around him and his immediate wants and desires.) I'm also learning that God is much more concerned with my conformity to Christ instead of my COMFORT! For example, how I respond to how much money is in my bank account is more important to Him than the actual amount. See, He's not worried because He has said He will supply all my needs (Phil. 4:19). My attitude to my work and the motive behind it is by far more important to Him than the amount of things I get to check off my "To Do List" today. Most importantly, am I serving my family in LOVE or are they a job I have to get done? Ouch! I done went to meddling!

What's this got to do with parenting you might ask? Well, only this . . . EVERYTHING! If I'm worried about finances, I'm not teaching my children that they can TRUST their loving Father. My work should be the perfect example to my children of doing "all things as unto the Lord" (Colossians 3:23). And listen to this, I Corinthians 13 tells us that without the pure motive of LOVE, we are nothing and gain nothing of value. So, if we don't teach our children to live Jesus servant lives, who is going to?

Yup, if I model my life striving towards ENDLESS EASE instead of how can I love like Jesus, I'm going to raise some selfish, spoiled, and aimless children. I Corinthians 13:13b sums up perfectly what my goal should be,

". . . So above all else, let love be the beautiful prize for which you run." (TPT)

I don't know about you, but this gal has desired Endless Ease too long as an Idol. From now on I want love to be the beautiful prize that I run after! Care to join me?

#TeachingTuesday #EndlessEase #LoveShouldBeTheGoal #MyConformityToChristIsMoreImportantThanMyComfort