Because of our sin nature our default mode is self-sufficiency and independence from God. Rather than allowing His power—the power of Christ’s Holy Spirit who lives in every believer—to replace our weakness, we naturally try to handle things on our own.
Being a parent is one of life’s most delightful and rewarding experiences. At the same time, it can be one of life’s most exasperating and demanding challenges. Parenting works best when we are loving and understanding, consistent and calm in our reactions, and wise and mature in our actions and attitudes. But who on earth does all of that all the time?
Nowhere in 1 Samuel 25 does it mention her physical appearance or age. In a world obsessed with youth and beauty, examples like Abigail remind me how living for God creates character with remarkable, unmatched beauty.
We know that we are all sinful and in need of salvation, but often, we fail to consider that we bear the specific “bents” of our parents, grandparents, and even great-grandparents. When we think about it, all of us must admit the direct link between the people we have become and the lives of those who formed our heritage—for good and for ill.
When all is said and done, you’ll say, “Honestly, I didn’t figure this thing out. It must have been God.” Talk about mysterious! The longer I live the Christian life, the less I know about why He leads as He does. But I am absolutely confident that He leads.
Can we trace certain acts of iniquity back to our ancestors? The answer is “yes.” The sinful “bents” of our ancestors do not stop with their deaths. Wise are the parents who understand this, observe it in their children, and deal with it appropriately in order to bring an end to long-standing familial iniquity.
If you feel like you’re still in that waiting and wondering phase, I’d suggest that you think of yourself as already on the path of your calling. Think of what fires you up and how that can be used to minister.
No matter how hard parents try, children are determined to go in a direction different from the parents’ desire, and the rebellion persists. What went wrong? What’s missing from this domestic equation? Why is the battle so difficult? The problem boils down to the natural “bents” in every baby.
We dare not allow Easter to pass without sufficiently rejoicing in and declaring our hope. It is Jesus Christ—the miraculously resurrected Son of God—who remains the object of our worship and the subject of our praise.
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