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Deny Yourself - Imitate God


More and more women, men and children are being expected to take on more and more responsibilities.  Due to worldly pressures, women think they have to have a spotless house, while working a full time job or being a stay at home mother, all while raising perfect children who they do activities with daily, and also have perfect homemade meals prepared and having meals stored in the freezer/ pantry etc…, while also volunteering at church, school, for girl/ boy scouts etc…   Men’s pressures are just as high, they have to be the ultra romantic man who works full time at a high paying joy, but still devotes his entire heart to children and finds time to take his wife out, when he is off he is expected to clean the house and bring breakfast in bed to her.  Children are to be in multiple activities (that their parents inevitably have to drive them to in addition to all their other chores), do their homework, have 1 hour structured play and 1 hour unstructured play, stay up on all the popular TV shows while establishing relationships with their piers, having play dates, hosting the most eccentric birthday parties all while “still being kids”.  YIKES!  Looking at these, we will always be disappointed at ourselves.  It is impossible to be the end-all-be-all, and if you succeed in it for a little while, you will be so exhausted, that something, somewhere is going to have to give. 

So often, I will find myself comparing my life to a part of someone else’s life that I see that I need to be more like.  Therefore, that goes on my list of things to do and be and I get so occupied doing and being all these things that I forget what is important.  I do, do, do so much that I forget to be what God has intended me to be.  I forget that God’s way is the best way to live.  I forget that so much of this doing is not leading up to anything.  Now it is important to do some of these things.  It is important to strive to do your best at all things, but more important than that is what God has told us to do.

I am very fortunate to go to an amazing church, The Fields Church in Mattoon, IL.  (http://www.thefieldslive.com/) I am also very fortunate to be part of the Missions Team that gets to prayerfully support missionaries around the world doing God’s work.  As part of this team, I was asked to compile a list of the missionaries, the jobs they are doing, their goals and their prayer requests.   While doing that this morning, I realized that I don’t have to do it all.  I don’t have to have my kids in 30 activities all while being super mom, super wife, super daughter and overall super woman.  As I sat there and typed up what these people are doing, I realized that all I have to do, is to be in love with God.  All I have to do to become a super woman, is to be a super woman of Christ.  I don’t have to try to do it all by myself.  When I follow God’s ways, the rest comes, and so much better than if I try to do it myself.  When I am following putting God first, I raise children who are well behaved and good spirited because they see that God comes first and want to share with others.  When I put God first, making dinner isn’t a chore, and if I don’t make it, it is fine because usually there is something easy that I can throw together.  When God is first, the Kingdom of Heaven is glorified. 

Don’t get me wrong, my kids still go to school every day, and are in dance class, and do stuff at church, and have play dates…  I still have to make dinners and clean my house (blah!) and be a good person and volunteer…  But when God is first, those things aren’t hard.  That is what I want to do, well other than clean my house- I pretty much have to FORCE myself to do that… 

Our world puts these pressures on us “1st world” people, but when you think about it, how silly would our problems be to those in a “3rd world”?  There is a video out there where 3rd world people speak 1st world problems.  This isn’t my favorite link to it, but you can watch the video http://www.buzzfeed.com/copyranter/first-world-problems-read-by-third-world-kids.  How much does that put our “problems” into perspective?  How much does seeing people in need show us that our issues of being “super person” shouldn’t really matter? 

Matthew 22:37-40 ESV

And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

 

Mark 12:30 ESV

And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’

 

Ephesians 5:1 ESV

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.

 

Proverbs 14:12 ESV

There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.

 

Matthew 6:33 ESV

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

 

Ephesians 5:17 ESV

Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

 

Luke 9:23 ESV

And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me

 

Psalm 73:25 ESV

Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.

 

Micah 6:8 ESV

He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?



Live life how God intends us to do – Love kindness, walk humbly with God, love Him with all our heart, soul, mind and spirit- desire nothing by Him- Love our neighbors- Imitate God- Deny ourselves.  These are my prayer for today.  Please also pray for those who are making an impact around the world for Christ.  Pray that God will be with them and their positions that they are in and that the hearts of the people will open up to the word of the Lord. 

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