by Kelly Knowlden
A famous author said that our view of God is too low. It is like a child grubbing about in a sandbox hearing mother say, “Come get in the car. We are going to the beach,” and being dissatisfied with having to leave his play. His contention was that often our thoughts of God are stuck to the ‘sandbox’ of the moment. Rather than seeing the glorious expanses of a limitless-oceaned God being part of every moment, we are content to have God be there at our beck and call as we think we need Him.
What I was struck with the other day in thinking about this, was that we are making choices all day long.... and often our choices are sandbox choices. I choose to stay in bed to pray and have my prayer time filled with a dreamy-stream-of-consciousness sort of prayer, rather than the “beach” choice of being a warrior in prayer and getting out of a warm bed to fight the battles against the world, the flesh and the devil. My ‘sandbox’ choice to eat another helping of potatoes “because they taste good” often betrays the joy and delight of “being at the beach” with the surety that eternal things last, temporary pleasures are just that, and that indulging in God’s good gifts makes them to be gods. (“Ultimate pleasure is found right here!”) The sandbox beckons with propped feet and news magazine “because I have to keep up with the news” rather than the freedom of ocean-vistas and endless sand-digging delight of reading and thinking about God’s Word. Choosing to sit and help with homework, choosing to fix a good meal, to hang up clothes when I take them off, to eat all things on my plate without grumbling, to helping sister with her chores, all in the face of having other things I’d rather do, are “beach choices.” You see, my view of God must affect my day to day choices or else He is not really God...something else is.
Is your God “grand beyond thought?” Is He full of resplendent glory, full of mercy and tender com- passion? Is He the One that is coming soon to recompense all men? Does He goad you to action? Let’s lift our eyes above our sandbox shovels and pails to the “beach” which holds endless delight, solid joys and rich treasures evermore.
Monday, April 29, 2013
Monday, April 22, 2013
Stewards 2
by Kelly Knowlden
Implications of being stewards of this world include having our children understand that they are not primarily consumers, but rather responsible citizens of the earth. Application of that truth includes everything from how they leave the lunchroom table (some high school students leave their portion in a deplorable state!) as well as what standard they adopt for their work. It includes their use of money and how they view environmentalism. There are also applications to the way they steward their relationships. (Sadly more and more students have bought into Satan's lies of relationships being about themselves and how others make me feel.)
So how do you as a parent convey all that? It is by reminding yourself regularly of the fact that you are a steward. You will have thought through the implications of God’s truth of recycling, use of pesticides, stewarding expendable income, stewarding information, what to do with personal trash, use of technology, stewarding time, etc. This will provide material for enough conversations that will last all 18 years that they live in your house. Even if you don’t know all the answers, students want and need to know the reasons for what takes place in life. And they will want to know that those reasons are pinned to objective truth—not just what you think. Of course, the conversation factor will be backed-up by how you live. Remember, the reason for the rebellion of the 60's was because parents could not give the next generation valid, objective reasons for why they needed to obey parents, comb their hair and be respectful of authority.
In light of this topic, I wanted to commend students and teachers who were involved in the PA Clean-up Day. We take care of a nine square block section of the city and our own school grounds. The area looks very nice and the students did an excellent job! I appreciate their enthusiasm and willingness to be good stewards.
Implications of being stewards of this world include having our children understand that they are not primarily consumers, but rather responsible citizens of the earth. Application of that truth includes everything from how they leave the lunchroom table (some high school students leave their portion in a deplorable state!) as well as what standard they adopt for their work. It includes their use of money and how they view environmentalism. There are also applications to the way they steward their relationships. (Sadly more and more students have bought into Satan's lies of relationships being about themselves and how others make me feel.)
So how do you as a parent convey all that? It is by reminding yourself regularly of the fact that you are a steward. You will have thought through the implications of God’s truth of recycling, use of pesticides, stewarding expendable income, stewarding information, what to do with personal trash, use of technology, stewarding time, etc. This will provide material for enough conversations that will last all 18 years that they live in your house. Even if you don’t know all the answers, students want and need to know the reasons for what takes place in life. And they will want to know that those reasons are pinned to objective truth—not just what you think. Of course, the conversation factor will be backed-up by how you live. Remember, the reason for the rebellion of the 60's was because parents could not give the next generation valid, objective reasons for why they needed to obey parents, comb their hair and be respectful of authority.
In light of this topic, I wanted to commend students and teachers who were involved in the PA Clean-up Day. We take care of a nine square block section of the city and our own school grounds. The area looks very nice and the students did an excellent job! I appreciate their enthusiasm and willingness to be good stewards.
Monday, April 15, 2013
Stewards
by Kelly Knowlden
Stewards were known for being responsible for their master’s affairs while he was gone. This could include his business, his activities and even his household. They functioned as the guardian and supervisor for all aspects of the operation. They were personally held responsible for the outcome of that which they oversaw.
As parents, you are stewards. You are entrusted with the awesome job of raising the next generation. They will pick up most of their cues from you and your lifestyle. Here is where it gets scary. I do not know about you, but I do not want my children to be completely like me and my wife. It would be nice to think that they would only pick up our better attributes, but the truth is that they also observe all our foibles and faults and will probably either - react to them and attempt to come up with some better system of response, or more likely, end up just like me. I do not need them to have my paranoia, my fears, my insecurities. I need help to have them see the world more broadly than my narrow perspectives.
That is where the church body comes in. I need the church to interact with my children through the various means that they provide... Sunday School, summer clubs, youth activities, and the like will put them in situations where they will be supervised by godly people who love children and young people and who will hold them accountable to generally the same standards I have but use their own words and ways of expressing that.
The Christian school also does the same thing. Students who study and learn under influential people each day such as teachers will often pick up various ways of thinking and expressing themselves that reflect what they see in their mentors. My children (all over 21) have been the beneficiaries of both of those opportunities. Church and Christian school teachers have provided them with other role models that were invaluable in my parenting. I have been very thankful to God for that great blessing!
Stewards were known for being responsible for their master’s affairs while he was gone. This could include his business, his activities and even his household. They functioned as the guardian and supervisor for all aspects of the operation. They were personally held responsible for the outcome of that which they oversaw.
As parents, you are stewards. You are entrusted with the awesome job of raising the next generation. They will pick up most of their cues from you and your lifestyle. Here is where it gets scary. I do not know about you, but I do not want my children to be completely like me and my wife. It would be nice to think that they would only pick up our better attributes, but the truth is that they also observe all our foibles and faults and will probably either - react to them and attempt to come up with some better system of response, or more likely, end up just like me. I do not need them to have my paranoia, my fears, my insecurities. I need help to have them see the world more broadly than my narrow perspectives.
That is where the church body comes in. I need the church to interact with my children through the various means that they provide... Sunday School, summer clubs, youth activities, and the like will put them in situations where they will be supervised by godly people who love children and young people and who will hold them accountable to generally the same standards I have but use their own words and ways of expressing that.
The Christian school also does the same thing. Students who study and learn under influential people each day such as teachers will often pick up various ways of thinking and expressing themselves that reflect what they see in their mentors. My children (all over 21) have been the beneficiaries of both of those opportunities. Church and Christian school teachers have provided them with other role models that were invaluable in my parenting. I have been very thankful to God for that great blessing!
Monday, April 8, 2013
Objective Truth
Part of being a child is that they don’t come to life with what is necessary to live objectively in a world that is not going to go according to their wants and wishes. They are self-oriented; mindful of their own wants, wishes, ways but pretty blind to the needs of others. They are caught in their own hopes and dreams and plans for each day and when circumstances and relationships don’t go that way, they become angry, disillusioned and sometimes, bitter.
So when they come home from school and you ask them how their day went, you become their sounding board for how to respond to what happened. If, for example, they are all smiles and happy, then you will not need to reinterpret what happened. (Not that it doesn’t need reinterpreting, but you will have plenty of other chances to do so with the troubles that come.) But, if they come in with the barrage of problems, “No one sat near me at lunch,” or “I didn’t understand anything in math class today,” then is when you have the opportunity to bring objective truth to them.
As a parent, that is your task. You are the outside objective truth agent to your children when they are caught in the throes of emotional responses. Obviously, you need to be on their side, hear their complaint and ensure that they know that you have heard them. But the next step is to NOT get caught up in their hurts. Becoming offended at the student or adult or circumstance that has happened, will leave you unable to bring to them the truth that is always true.
So what do they need to hear? First and foremost they need to hear that God is good. Their interpretation will be, “If God loves me, then why did this happen?” Second they need to hear that "All things are being worked out for our good and God’s glory." Their interpretation will be “God doesn’t love me,” or “How could this possibly be good?” I know this is difficult when our kids have been hurt. But that is what they need to hear because it is true. It is what we need to hear as well. So we must be soaking ourselves with this.
So when they come home from school and you ask them how their day went, you become their sounding board for how to respond to what happened. If, for example, they are all smiles and happy, then you will not need to reinterpret what happened. (Not that it doesn’t need reinterpreting, but you will have plenty of other chances to do so with the troubles that come.) But, if they come in with the barrage of problems, “No one sat near me at lunch,” or “I didn’t understand anything in math class today,” then is when you have the opportunity to bring objective truth to them.
As a parent, that is your task. You are the outside objective truth agent to your children when they are caught in the throes of emotional responses. Obviously, you need to be on their side, hear their complaint and ensure that they know that you have heard them. But the next step is to NOT get caught up in their hurts. Becoming offended at the student or adult or circumstance that has happened, will leave you unable to bring to them the truth that is always true.
So what do they need to hear? First and foremost they need to hear that God is good. Their interpretation will be, “If God loves me, then why did this happen?” Second they need to hear that "All things are being worked out for our good and God’s glory." Their interpretation will be “God doesn’t love me,” or “How could this possibly be good?” I know this is difficult when our kids have been hurt. But that is what they need to hear because it is true. It is what we need to hear as well. So we must be soaking ourselves with this.
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
Names
by Kelly Knowlden
“Humility, at least in part, is the act of giving and receiving true names. Not the names that pride would have us accept that are ours by right, but neither the names that shame would have us accept which may contain a grain of truth but are not the whole truth.”1 Do you remember how Grima Wormtongue ‘named’ King Theoden in The Two Towers? “You are tired and old...”
You are I name ourselves all the time. We do it by our thoughts of “I’m great,” or “I’m stupid.” We base our understanding of our self on comparisons with others and determine how we rate, on everything from abilities... to looks... to popularity. Then we ‘name’ ourselves and act accordingly.
In many instances we take ourselves far too serious. We forget that God’s determination of us is not based on any horizontal comparisons. Cosmic laughter is God’s response to Osama bin Laden. (Ps. 2:2 says, the kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the LORD and against His Anointed One. “Let us break their chains,,” they say, “and throw off their fetters.” The One enthroned in heaven laughs.) Could it be that my names for myself are not the accurate ways that God sees me? They really become our “emperor’s clothes.”
Could it be that my importance be no more than dust? Yet, my prayers move the heart of the King of the Universe! Perhaps my importance is to be a dust particle that plays out the role of faithful dust! Then for sure laughter is indeed the best response. When I remember that the God in Heaven names us, why, then we have a Name that is worthy to bear! Then my microscopic existence is enlarged! He tells me that I am His son... a warrior... blessed... steward... redeemed...etc. That changes those old names so that I gain a biblical understanding of who I am. That is true humility.
1 Tolkien’s Ordinary Virtues, Mark Eddy Smith
“Humility, at least in part, is the act of giving and receiving true names. Not the names that pride would have us accept that are ours by right, but neither the names that shame would have us accept which may contain a grain of truth but are not the whole truth.”1 Do you remember how Grima Wormtongue ‘named’ King Theoden in The Two Towers? “You are tired and old...”
You are I name ourselves all the time. We do it by our thoughts of “I’m great,” or “I’m stupid.” We base our understanding of our self on comparisons with others and determine how we rate, on everything from abilities... to looks... to popularity. Then we ‘name’ ourselves and act accordingly.
In many instances we take ourselves far too serious. We forget that God’s determination of us is not based on any horizontal comparisons. Cosmic laughter is God’s response to Osama bin Laden. (Ps. 2:2 says, the kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the LORD and against His Anointed One. “Let us break their chains,,” they say, “and throw off their fetters.” The One enthroned in heaven laughs.) Could it be that my names for myself are not the accurate ways that God sees me? They really become our “emperor’s clothes.”
Could it be that my importance be no more than dust? Yet, my prayers move the heart of the King of the Universe! Perhaps my importance is to be a dust particle that plays out the role of faithful dust! Then for sure laughter is indeed the best response. When I remember that the God in Heaven names us, why, then we have a Name that is worthy to bear! Then my microscopic existence is enlarged! He tells me that I am His son... a warrior... blessed... steward... redeemed...etc. That changes those old names so that I gain a biblical understanding of who I am. That is true humility.
1 Tolkien’s Ordinary Virtues, Mark Eddy Smith
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