Standing in Faith and Conviction in a Worldly World

Life is hard these days.  For most of us anyway.  As children, we knew a world of happy thoughts, no worries, just getting up every day, playing outside, going to school, playing sports and going to bed at night. No bills, no responsibilities, and we always knew that we were taken care of.  Actually we knew no different.  It was all taken for granted.  Oh those days.  The world was good in our eyes, because our parents saw fit for us to know no different.

As we age, we find out that growing old and becoming a responsible adult is hard.  It is a blessing, but hard.  We wonder if even things were really "different back then" and if the world has gone crazy, or if we just knew no different.  Well, with that being said,  I do believe that things were different back then.  The good old days have come and gone.  We now live in a world where a majority of our country choose to go with the flow and "accept" the things that go on now.  For example, homosexuality, divorce, immodesty, and respect only to name a few.  The devil runs rampant.  We live in a world where the "majority" chooses to pick and choose which parts of the Bible they want to believe, follow, or whether or not to believe any of it at all.  True Christians, or disciples of Christ are a minority.  There are those who take the bible, twist and turn it to make it say what they want it to say, when it doesn't, and those who claim to be a Christian and support certain lifestyles, because well, "that's just the way it is now."  So, were just supposed to take the Bible and throw it and what it says out the window?  No, I don't think so! 

When we allow such acts, lifestyles, and practices to go on, against the commandments of God, we are allowing our country to fall to the deepest of the deep. Moral standards that our grandparents would be rolling over in their grave over have no just become "accepted."  We make excuses to make things right.  I am NOT pointing fingers, because I too am guilty of ignorance.  I am just stating what I truly believe as fact.  You may call it an opinion, but these are my true feelings.  Some stand by what they were taught and some do not, and the ones who want to stand firm in their teachings are being persecuted, taking flack, if you will for holding to these convictions.  As a Christian, wife, and mother, I am thankful for my convictions. If I had no conviction, I would sincerely question my relationship with the Lord.  Am old fashioned?  You bet I am!  Sometimes I am overly "old." ha!  I won't apologize.  Lately, I feel as if we've been beaten over the head with the overly defensive stick.  Sheesh!

 Dear Lord, thank you for convicting me in times of wrong and question to your commandments.  I am not perfect. I am a sinner.  Thank you for forgiving me and loving me no matter what.  Dear Lord, direct our path as parents and show us the way; Your way.  Thank you for reminding us that YOU are in charge, when we go astray.  Lead us.  Help us to direct Mills down YOUR path.

I am a strong-willed mother of a strong-willed child.  There.  I said it.  Mills gets his strong-will and temper honestly.  Gotta love the gene pool.  I have to admit that when I get my mind set on something, I tend to not let up on it.  With that said, I always try to pray and ask for God's will to be done.  His direction is most important.  I try my best to not question God, but pray for his hand in direction.   Do I always follow God's direction?  No, unfortunately not, but he is real quick to whip me back to where I should be.  I am thankful.

We have a lot of decisions to make in the future as disciples, parents, and husband and wife.  We will do our best to do what is best for our family and will pray for God's direction.  We will be persecuted for many of these decisions I'm sure.  As a matter of fact, we already have been in some ways.  I will not let anyone or anything lead me astray, especially if God leads us in a certain direction.  I am sure that some of our decisions will be offensive to some.  We will take flack for doing what we believe is God's will for us.  Our decision to send our son to a Christian school has been one that we have prayed and prayed about.  I'm not going to lie.  At times, the devil will get a thread on me and pull me away to the "worldly" reasons to send him elsewhere, but God very quickly slams His hand down in front of me.  "No!" he says.  We both know that he can "get the Bible at church and at home." That's what we continually get thrown to us...but I'm not that good.  I do my best, but in all honesty, I know for a fact that those people across the street from us are much better at teaching the Bible than we.  I'm just being honest.  You can't have too much Jesus.  It's not a "public vs. private" issue.  It's much deeper than that.  It is a personal decision with conviction and we have faith that God is leading us in that direction.  "Well, they don't have sports."  No, they do not, yet, and maybe they won't ever.  I can assure you that sports are not at the top of our goals in life.  Education is, and that is another personal decision.   Our public schools here have wonderful teachers!  You are awesome and a blessing to those whom you touch and teach every day.  I admire you, respect you and am thankful for you.  Teaching is a hard job and not every one is cut out for it.  Teachers are special because, I for one, am not cut out for the job and am thankful that our children have those who are.  

We will be continuously praying for God to lead us down His path for us and that our family, especially Mills will be ridiculed for attending a certain school, or not being allowed to play sports on Sunday or that interfere with church events.  I know how this world is and as parents we are going to be truly tempted and tested.  I hope you will pray for us to stand strong when we are tempted and pulled by the rope of rebellion.

 Dear Lord, Help us to do what is personally right for us but only as you direct.  Pray for us to be an example.  Help us when we are persecuted to remember who we belong to, you, Dear Lord.  Help us to stay strong when or if our son questions our decisions.  We know that we have a hard road ahead of us, because of this worldly world.  We ask for your guidance, conviction, faith, and most of all your arms to hold us up when we are weary and tired.  In Jesus Name, Amen.