1 Timothy 5:8; 2 Corinthians 12:14-15; Deuteronomy 6:4-9
Selfishness comes in many forms and when we examine our lives, we often see the result of it everywhere. In fact, because it is such a common thread throughout all our lives, we tend to blow it off and justify it. Oddly enough, it is especially easy for those of us with families to justify selfish living. Some of the simplest and yet most meaningful aspects of my life can sometimes fall prey to inadvertent selfish living.
In our passage in Deuteronomy, we see that God has commanded us to love him with all our being and that this love that we have for him is to be manifested in every aspect of our lives by diligently teaching his word to those around us. Specifically, in our homes, with our spouse and children. The act of carrying the words that God has written on our hearts into all our affairs, can seem to come often at the cost of personal comfort. The selfless act of demonstrating the love and mercy that was so freely given to us within our homes can mean difficult conversation, late nights and navigating the limitations of our children.
Several weeks ago, I came across an article discussing the common habit that children must wait until just before bedtime to ask the silliest questions. This article resonated with me because our youngest does this EVERY NIGHT. While this is just as cute as it sounds…. every night? Don’t they know how burnt out we feel? My wife and I have three children, ages 8, 11 and 13. So between our jobs, the kid’s schedule and any extras, we can sometimes feel overwhelmed. And every night after our nightly routine, which includes some quiet time to wind down, we put the kids to bed, and it never fails……… “Dad/Mom!.......Can you come here please?”
The reality is that my children have also just had a day of their own. A day filled with new tasks and social situations that they had to navigate, with nearly no time to think for themselves and process. Now their world has slowed down, the lights have gone out, and they feel safe exploring some of their own thoughts and they want to do that with us. Often my first reaction is to quiet them down and try to get them to go to sleep. We can justify this by explaining our exhaustion and need for what this world has popularized as “self-care”. But mom and dad were at work all day and when we got home, we were “too busy” cooking dinner or attending to some other mundane tasks around the house to explore what’s important to our little ones.
It’s easy to be overwhelmed by all the noise of our day and fail to see this situation as an opportunity to practice this love by doing what is described in Deuteronomy 6:7, “You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.”. This 8-year-old boy has just presented me with the best, most relaxing atmosphere to follow God’s command and share with him the words that God has ingrained in me. If only I could step outside of myself in those moments. If only I could see the little voice calling from the other room, not as a nuisance meant to take from me the few moments of silence that I get, but as a quiet moment of vulnerability for me to meet them where they are and share that love. Selfless living can become a practice by starting with those little moments.
In our passage in Deuteronomy, we see that God has commanded us to love him with all our being and that this love that we have for him is to be manifested in every aspect of our lives by diligently teaching his word to those around us. Specifically, in our homes, with our spouse and children. The act of carrying the words that God has written on our hearts into all our affairs, can seem to come often at the cost of personal comfort. The selfless act of demonstrating the love and mercy that was so freely given to us within our homes can mean difficult conversation, late nights and navigating the limitations of our children.
Several weeks ago, I came across an article discussing the common habit that children must wait until just before bedtime to ask the silliest questions. This article resonated with me because our youngest does this EVERY NIGHT. While this is just as cute as it sounds…. every night? Don’t they know how burnt out we feel? My wife and I have three children, ages 8, 11 and 13. So between our jobs, the kid’s schedule and any extras, we can sometimes feel overwhelmed. And every night after our nightly routine, which includes some quiet time to wind down, we put the kids to bed, and it never fails……… “Dad/Mom!.......Can you come here please?”
The reality is that my children have also just had a day of their own. A day filled with new tasks and social situations that they had to navigate, with nearly no time to think for themselves and process. Now their world has slowed down, the lights have gone out, and they feel safe exploring some of their own thoughts and they want to do that with us. Often my first reaction is to quiet them down and try to get them to go to sleep. We can justify this by explaining our exhaustion and need for what this world has popularized as “self-care”. But mom and dad were at work all day and when we got home, we were “too busy” cooking dinner or attending to some other mundane tasks around the house to explore what’s important to our little ones.
It’s easy to be overwhelmed by all the noise of our day and fail to see this situation as an opportunity to practice this love by doing what is described in Deuteronomy 6:7, “You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.”. This 8-year-old boy has just presented me with the best, most relaxing atmosphere to follow God’s command and share with him the words that God has ingrained in me. If only I could step outside of myself in those moments. If only I could see the little voice calling from the other room, not as a nuisance meant to take from me the few moments of silence that I get, but as a quiet moment of vulnerability for me to meet them where they are and share that love. Selfless living can become a practice by starting with those little moments.
Posted in Devotional