Have you ever, as a parent, been blessed by the Holy Spirit’s guidance in a teachable moment with your child? I have been amazed so many times by His gentle guidance, His wise answers, and His perfect timing in these sorts of situations with my children. The other day, I was reading through fresh Facebook postings and came upon this gem from a college friend. It spoke so strongly and directly to my heart that I asked her permission to share it here with all of you. Of course, the names have been changed to protect the innocent, but the facts remain. Let her God story speak to you today:
Blake didn’t have the best day today. As I was tucking him into bed, he asked me, “Mommy, am I going to be a bad boy tomorrow?”
I replied, “Sweetheart, you are not a bad boy. Sometimes we do bad things, but that doesn’t mean we’re bad people. It just means we need to learn to make good choices.”
Blake responded, “But it’s hard to make good choices ‘cause Jesus and the devil are fighting in my tummy, and I don’t know who to choose.”
“Choose Jesus, Baby, choose Jesus,” I said, kissing him goodnight and leaving the room. Then the Lord prompted me to help him see that he doesn’t have to make all the right choices right now. I turned around and went back into Blake’s room and told my sweet boy, “Just make one right choice at a time, and before you know it, you will be a pro at making good choices.”
Isn’t that what we, as Christians, all face in this life here on earth — making good, godly choices in each situation as it arises? Sometimes, like Blake, we get overwhelmed by the thought of always needing to do the right thing. It is a bit daunting to try to imagine ourselves as completely sanctified, rather than remembering that it is a process. Really, we just need to focus on doing the next right thing. What’s that old saying? How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.
READ:
Isaiah 30:21
Proverbs 4:26, 27
Proverbs 22:6
Psalm 32:8
2 Timothy 3:14
PRAYER:
Father, each day brings a plethora of situations in which I must make a choice: to listen to that still, small voice or to go my own way. Open the ears of my heart to hear the voice of Your Holy Spirit clearly, to learn to recognize that voice as Yours. Please give me the courage to walk in obedience regardless of how hard it may be, confident that You are leading me into one good choice at a time.
~ Cathy Schrock, writer
~ Adrienne Mueller, photographer
