But As For Me And My House: We Will Serve The LORD!

"For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything." (Hebrews 3:4)

What are you building your house with? 

What is your house's foundation? Where is your safety? God reminded me this morning of a moment I had as a nanny, where a little girl asked me about heaven. She wanted to know what it would look like, who would be there and what we would do. As I began to tell her of all of what I thought were heavens glorious wonders, I looked over and noticed she was crying. As I asked her why she was crying she proceeded to asked two questions.

1) "Will we sleep in heaven?" 

I replied that I imagined that we wouldn't need to rest in heaven because we would never be tired.

She cried harder..."but I love sleep so much!" she wailed out.  Next question...

2) "Will I have my toys?"

I explained how the things of this world will fade away and that we take nothing with us but our souls.

At this point she was wailing..."but I'll be soooooo bored!" she is heaving.

At this point I am sure most of you are chuckling a little bit and honestly I was trying very hard not to laugh a bit myself.  But what you have to realize is a bit of subtext.

What seems so silly for some of us, was very serious to this little girl. We have to remember not all of us have Godly examples in our lives.

We are all caught in a web of satan's design from birth and it is up to the rest of us to appropriately step in when and where we can. 

But parents have the main responsibility.

This little girl had parents who did not know and fear the Lord, worked full days and often asked me, the nanny, to go to special events instead of them. 

The two times this little girl was actually with her parents were...

1) When they would buy, do, and go whatever and wherever she pleased and

2) Bedtime.

So, to this little girl bedtime was very special; the things her parents bought her were very special. It is no wonder that her toys and sleep were where she held her value; they were the only ways and times in her life that she felt love from the two most important people in her life.

Now in case you are wondering, the little girl did eventually calm down. I prayed with her and told her she could talk to God about if she wanted too; that He would listen and hear her. And after about an hour of listening to her crying and talking to God in her room she came out. But honestly that is not the point of this story. The point is...

What are we building our houses with?  What are we teaching our children to put value in?  How are you showing them love?

God calls us as parents and caregivers to guide our children in a Godly way.  

If we are treating our children like accessories or worse yet burdens what are we teaching them about God's view of us? 

If we buy them whatever they want and let them do whatever they want; what are we teaching them about God's law? 

If we ignore, hurt, and belittle them; what are we teaching them about God's grace and love? 

But I am not just talking to parents here,  What if we asked the above question in  a different way:

If we are treating our NEIGHBORS, FRIENDS, CO-WORKERS like accessories or worse yet burdens what are we teaching them about God's view of THEM? 

If we LET OUR NEIGHBORS, FRIENDS, CO-WORKERS do whatever they want both TO US and TO OTHERS; what are we teaching them about God's law? 

If we ignore, hurt, and belittle our NEIGHBORS, FRIENDS, CO-WORKERS ; what are we teaching them about God's grace and love? 

We have a responsibility to be like Jesus to our children AND all the people God places in and around our lives. 

Children of God we are held to a different standard. Don't let the ways of this technology and money driven world get in the way of what is really important. Your children look too YOU; the world looks to YOU. What kind of example are we setting? What are we building our houses with? Where are we getting our worth? How are we spending our time? What are we storing up?   Our children will inevitably follow and so will the rest of the world.  So remember...

For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul? (Mathew 16:26)

It all will fade away...all that will be left is our soul? 

So I ask you...is your house build on the Lord?  What can you be doing more and more of everyday to ensure it is?  

We are not called to be perfect, but we are called to follow God's law and strive to be like Jesus the best we can every day! 

So let us: LOVE, SACRIFICE, SHEPHERD, SPREAD THE GOOD NEWS, STAND ON THE WORD OF GOD, SAVE,  PROTECT, SERVE, TEACH, SHOW PATIENCE, SHOW GRACE, PRAY, SEEK GOD's WILL, WALK IN PEACE, WALK IN THE SPIRIT, WALK IN TRUTH, and GIVE through the grace and help of God everyday!

Amen!