Tag Archives: Biblical worldview

A Spiritual Battle

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Have you been watching the news lately? So many things bring uncertainty into our lives, don’t they? I’m doing a fair amount of sitting around right now, as I recover slowly from the emotional and physical journey of a hysterectomy. As I watched tonight, I saw a mom interviewed about the fear she struggles with over possibly losing her healthcare and not being able to provide for her children. So many things up in the air. It’s easy for us to become afraid, isn’t it?

Well, just in time, we’re still talking about Esther today, but in relationship to the verses we find in Ephesians 6. If you have your Bible, open it to Ephesians 6 and get out your highlighter and pen, because you’re going to want to highlight this passage.

In Ephesians 6:10 we read,

“Finally be strong in the Lord, and in His mighty power put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes, for our struggle is not against flesh and blood but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in heavenly places. Therefore, put on the full armor of God so that when the day of evil comes, you will be able to stand your ground and after you have done everything to stand.

Stand firm then with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, with your feet fitted with readiness that comes with the gospel of peace; in addition to all this, take up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one; take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit, which is the Word of God, and pray in the spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.”

Solomon once said that there is “nothing new under the sun.” How true that is! Just like the time of Esther, the battle that we are fighting now is a spiritual battle. There has always been good and evil. There have always been wicked men in this world. God uses even the the difficult things. He is always at work. Esther understood this.

Esther had the wisdom to see that the battle she was fighting needed spiritual weapons. In the same way we encounter things in our daily lives- whether it’s with our husbands, our marriage, our children, strife in our churches, frustrations in our friendships or struggles with our health, we need to recognize who the enemy really is.

The Bible says we do not struggle against flesh and blood, we are engaged in a spiritual battle. There really is wickedness in this world, so we need to be looking at the world with spiritual eyes. We cannot fight this spiritual battle using a carnal weapons like manipulation or unkind words. We need to be using the weapons of prayer and application of the Word of God. Those are the weapons we use to engage in spiritual warfare! We read in Ephesians 6 that we are to put on the belt of truth and buckle it around our waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and fit our feet with the gospel of peace. God is telling us over and over again that the battle we fight is a spiritual battle.

Are you ready to fight a spiritual battle? Do you spend the time you need to spend putting on your armor? Gear up Busy Mom. Gear up for a spiritual battle. Put on the full armor of God!

Gird up,

What is the Goal of Education?

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Have you ever wondered why education is such a big deal? Today I’m going to take you to a small verse in Luke that has implications as to why and how we educate our children. Luke 6:40 says, “A student is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher.” Wow, that’s powerful stuff.

Do you remember when you were in school? Most of us were not homeschooled ourselves. We attended school away from home where we were discipled by (that’s right) our teacher. We don’t often think of education this way, but by the end of the day, education is all about discipleship.

Jay and I have been saying this for years as we’ve been speaking around the country. We did not realize the depth in the spiritual battle in the field of education until we got involved in ministering to homeschooling families. I believe it is because education is much more important than we often realize! We are talking about the hearts and minds of the next generation of children. The Bible says in Luke 6:40 that when a child is fully trained, he will be like his teacher.

Now, is this condemnation to those who’ve chosen not to homeschool? Absolutely not, but it is a reminder that it matters who teaches your children. You see, discipleship is the goal of education. Christian homeschooling should not only be about teaching the ABC’s. Yes, academics are an essential component in homeschooling, but the foundation and power of homeschooling is found in the quiet resolve of two parents who are committed to teach their children to be fully devoted, mature followers of Jesus Christ. That comes first.

Now, can you do that without homeschooling your kids? Yes, I believe you can and we’ve seen parents do it successfully. But, the neat thing my husband and I realized about homeschooling our children is that the amount of time it gives us to disciple our children is second to none. Homeschooling has given us time with them that would have otherwise been given to a teacher, or a school system.

Understanding this is a crucial component of success in homeschooling. It is the key that unlocks the door to longevity in home education. The truth is, the best schedule and most efficient run home won’t keep you from burning out if you don’t know why you’re doing what you’re doing.

So, let me just ask you, busy mom, why are you raising your children? What is your goal for raising children? Most moms I know wouldn’t take on homeschooling in a million years without a driven desire. So, what’s driving you?

The answer to this question is going to define the education journey of your family. If you choose to homeschool your children, keeping the heart of homeschooling alive with the desire to impart wisdom, not just knowledge, to your children will help keep you going on the days when you wonder what in the world you got yourself into.

Once you truly know what education is about and decide why you are doing what you’re doing, you can begin to make a plan that will help you make the most of the homeschooling years, one moment at a time.

Part of the reason why I have been talking about legalism for the last couple of days, it is to remind parents how important it is for us to love each other. We should love each other regardless of the education choices we make for our children. I wonder, as we wrestle these issues, are we loving each other?

The Bible says they will know we are Christians by our love. I want to encourage you to remember that the goal of education is discipleship. As we raise our kids, let’s remember that passage in Luke: “When your child is fully trained, he will be like his teacher.”

That’s something to consider as parents—our children will be a lot like us.

The “Myth” of Socialization

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This is Who You Are, Day 7

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Refuse to Be Sidelined

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9

Something sad and fascinating is happening to parents in this post-modern era. We’re being lied to. We’re being told that we aren’t necessary—and what’s worse, many moms today are buying the lie! After all, they say the “village” can do it better.

Slowly but surely society is shutting parents out. What used to be regarded as a parent’s responsibility is now seen as an infringement on the child. If we want to stay in the race and finish it we must refuse to be sidelined. MomStrong moms possess a willingness to endure rather than become a passive onlooker in the lives of their children.

When the world says “give up” or “it’s not your business,” I challenge you to stand up for the sake of your child. Go ahead and risk being annoying. Be the mom who knows the names of your child’s friends. Be the mom who asks the hard questions and loves unconditionally. Be the mom who refuses to be sidelined and actively guides her child through every stage of growing to adulthood.

Your children don’t need the government or the school system to teach them about the big things in life, they need their parents. Moms, you are stronger than they say you are. You are more capable and more invested. You’re your children’s mother, and kids today need their mothers to be all-in.

They need the wisdom and love of their parents, and they need a mom who is one hundred percent invested.

Be that mom!

This is Who You Are, Day 4

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After my daughter had just given birth, I had the privilege of walking through a learning season with her. Little Noah was a couple of weeks old and I was really loving the new season I was in—a season with little ones of my own and a grandma is truly a special time. But Noah’s birth was a little scary and ended in an emergency c-section. So began our daughter’s new journey of learning to trust the Lord with her child. It’s never as easy as it sounds, is it?

Matthew 14:22 is a passage that I wanted to share with you. Something that jumps out at me in the this passage is the fact that Jesus went to get alone by Himself and pray. Don’t you love that? The Lord Himself, God incarnate—prayed. Shortly after that, we read the story of Peter walking out onto the water to Jesus. As soon as the storm grows, his faith falters. Jesus calms the storm and then says to Peter, “You of little faith!” Why did you doubt?”

I think it’s easy for us to find ourselves in the same position that Peter was in. As I was explaining to my daughter at her baby shower, life throws things at you that you cannot possibly expect.

Here are a few things I’ve been learning about how to be a faith-filled mom:

Faith-filled mothering is constrained by love. As mothers, we are preparing our children for a world that we will likely never see. Often, we make decisions that our children do not like—even painful decisions because love tells us that it is the right decision to make.

Faith-filled mothers are dependent on prayer. We read in verse 23 that Jesus got alone to pray. Even the Lord needed to pray. Here was Jesus, physically tired, tempted and alone—yet He took the time to pray to His Father.

Finally, faith-filled mothering is not fear-based. It is not afraid. My grandfather used to say that “fear was present when Jesus was absent, but always absent when Jesus was present.”

Matthew 28:20 says, “I am with you always.” If you want to be a faith filled mother today, anticipate God’s grace and goodness in the lives of your children. Believe His promises for your family. “Train up your children in the way they should go, and when they are old, they will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6

Be brave! The Lord is with you.
Even though I hate to see the winter go, I love the change of seasons. Change is just part of life, isn’t it? Change happens with our children, our families, and our friendships. It happens in politics and in our churches. Sometimes change is very hard. Sometimes, it hurts. Sometimes I struggle to accept change as it comes into my life and disrupts the way I like things. Sometimes, I resist—but I’m learning acceptance is better.

I’ve been thinking lately about all the changes my husband and I have been through over the past 25 years. From ministry to marriage, we’ve seen a lot of ups and downs. When I was younger, I thought I knew so much more than I do now! I didn’t know there would be so.many.changes. in my life. From my parenting style to the realization that I had a lot of growing up to to … change has just become part of life. Isn’t it funny how the older you get the more you realize how much you DON’T know?

Looking back, I can see that very few of the painful changes have ever happened on my terms—and many of the good ones were on God’s terms, too. His terms, His timing.

I still have so much to learn about God’s timing.

Accepting God’s timing is just part of accepting the changes that inevitably come. I find myself very nostalgic as I watch the kids grow and leave the nest we’ve spent over 25 years building. But then, I remind myself, “that’s why we built the “nest” … so that the kids could grow and leave it! Funny, isn’t it? As I get older, changes in my life have given me another reason to be grateful for God’s Word. His mercies are new every morning. He is so faithful. He is trustworthy. That means that even when I’d rather things were different, I can trust God’s heart for me. Listen to what the prophet Jeremiah said about God’s unchanging nature:

Lamentations 3:22-23 (ESV)
22 The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
his mercies never come to an end;
23 they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.

God never changes. He’ll see you through whatever you are facing today. His mercies are new for you right now, busy mom!

Hang on tight to the Lord in every season of life. He’ll get you through.

Thankful for an unchanging God,

Heidi

This is Who You Are, Day 3

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I am complete in Him Who is the Head of all principality and power (Colossians 2:10).
I am alive with Christ (Ephesians 2:5).
I am free from the law of sin and death (Romans 8:2).
I am far from oppression, and fear does not come near me (Isaiah 54:14).
I am born of God, and the evil one does not touch me (1 John 5:18).
I am holy and without blame before Him in love (Ephesians 1:4; 1 Peter 1:16).

I love my kids. Our seven children range in age from 6 to 25 at the moment. Our oldest daughter and her husband have two beautiful little boys. That makes me *gasp* “Mamsi.” Our youngest daughter was an “aunt” at the age of three. I love that too. Sometimes I look at my children and I cannot believe how fast the years go by—but there are days when I have struggled to appreciate the gift I’ve been given.

Motherhood is hard. Much harder than I thought it would be, and it’s more demanding for sure. No one told me it was going to be so hard.

Many years ago, this truth was shared with me from another wise mother. She had raised her five girls and literally poured her life out to do it. When her last child left home, she was devastated. She battled depression and resentment. Her marriage suffered. Finally, at her husband’s request, she decided to do something that was just for her. She told me she wished she had done it years earlier. She began a small craft business and now, she’s enjoying a season of being a grandmother and an Etsy entrepreneur.

Her advice to me? “Do something to nurture your spirit while you nurture your children. Don’t wait until they’re grown.” .. and so, I began to write. Fifteen years ago I started writing a little column for our church newsletter. I loved it. It helped me think about something other than dishes and diapers. Eventually I wrote a book. Then another.

People sometimes ask me how I find time to write when I’m raising children. I don’t find time. I make it. Sometimes, it’s early in the morning. Sometimes it’s late. Truthfully? Writing is a joy for me. So I make time for it. Find your identity in being the woman God has created you to be. Part of your identity is found in motherhood. Where else is it found? What gifts has He given you? Do you like to organize? Teach? Sew? Write?

If you take time to nurture your spirit, even just a little, while your children are still growing, when they leave, you’ll find the transition will be easier.

Motherhood only lasts for a season. Some of us have longer seasons than others but in the end, motherhood is a journey worth taking.

Now excuse me. I hear hollering from the other room… I think the toddler is having an issue.
I am God’s workmanship, created in Christ unto good works (Ephesians 2:10).

Heidi St. John

Speaking the Truth in Love