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God's Forgiveness || Friday Magnify

October 08, 2021 by Amy Parsons in Motherhood, Family, Gospel

"Oh, magnify the Lord with me,
And let us exalt His name together."
Psalm 34:3

Every now and then I am overwhelmed by the responsibility of being a parent. All of my failings and shortcomings are on center stage, and I am plagued with doubt. How can I do this well, when I feel like a total mess? How will my children grow up knowing the Lord, if I give them a poor example of a Christ follower? I know I’m not alone in wondering these things!

In response to this we often hear that we really aren’t that bad, or that God will never give us more than we can handle. We receive some platitudes and move on. Or, we look at our failures and dramatically exaggerate them and think we are just the worst.

Well, sometimes we moms really are that bad. We do sin, and those decisions have consequences. Other times, we have messed up but the solution isn’t a good ol’ pity party that is nursing our pride. And sometimes, God surely does give us more than we can handle - ever looked at Job, or Nehemiah, or Paul? The point isn’t what we can handle, the point is that God is strong and worthy of glory. We have chances to learn our need of Him, and we see Him strong through our weaknesses.

So as I sit and mull over the week, I’m reminded that He is so good regardless of my shortcomings. He brings me back to the foot of the cross, where I humbly ask forgiveness and am given yet another fresh start. He reminds me that my kids need to see this repentance-and-forgiveness cycle in action; they don’t need to see a mom who pretends to never sin. They need to see a mom who asks her Lord, and her family, for forgiveness and then tries again. They need to see that mistakes brushed under the rug only breed more sin, instead of effectively dealing with them straight on.

How grateful I am for His forgiveness. I don’t deserve it, yet He gives it in abundance. It truly yields the best life. I am grateful for the best Teacher, that I might learn and then pass on this knowledge to my children. I am grateful that I can pray and ask the Lord for help, in my own life and in regard to my children. He is so good!

“Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven,
Whose sin is covered.”
Psalm 32:1

Amen!

October 08, 2021 /Amy Parsons
forgiveness
Motherhood, Family, Gospel
Comment

Legalism, Obedience & Zeal

October 03, 2021 by Amy Parsons in Gospel, Scripture

Legalism. We cringe at the mention of it, envisioning strict rules and regulations and hidden sins. Webster’s Dictionary describes legalism as “strict, literal, or excessive conformity to the law or to a religious or moral code.” We likely all have seen legalism in action. It can dampen our desire to pursue Christ; many unbelievers even use it as an excuse to not put their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. It seems that there has been much emphasis on shunning legalism and fleeing from it over the last handful of years.

And perhaps in all of the shunning, we have gone too far in a different direction. Perhaps we have swung too far in trying to avoid legalism that we’ve forsaken actual obedience altogether.

Legalism and obedience are often confused and thought to be the same thing, though they’re very different. We can see legalism with the Pharisees, as they prioritized rules and works over true repentance and desire to serve God. This happens today - maybe we even do this in our own lives. We can go to Bible studies and host people in our homes and tell others what they need to do, all without any personal repentance of sins and humility before God. We can look at people who actually do live legalistically, and think, there is no way I want to be like that! and thus run away from anything that could be taken as legalism.

In contrast to legalism, obedience to God is faithfully doing what the He asks of us even if we don’t fully understand. It comes from a heart desire to follow Him in all aspects of life.

We have run too far in our move away from legalism. An general view of Christian culture today, at least in America, shows that true obedience is frowned upon.

“I just want to be a wife and mom,” says a school-aged girl.

What’s the response? Oh honey, don’t settle for that. You can have a career, too!

The woman who stays home to teach her children and manage her household? Laughed at.

The woman who refuses to gossip? She’s holier-than-thou.

The parents who bring their children to church instead of Sunday soccer games? Scoffed at.

Instead of obeying the Lord, we can cave to pressure and decide that a better use of our time in life is to adopt some of the world’s ways and mock those who take Scripture seriously.

“But as for you, speak the things which are proper for sound doctrine: that the older men be sober, reverent, temperate, sound in faith, in love, in patience; the older women likewise, that they be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things — that they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed.”
Titus 2:1-5

This is an excerpt of what Scripture says for us as women.

This tells us that an obsession with wine is not obedience to the Lord. Talking down to or about our husbands is not obedience. Complaining about our children, allowing the house to be in constant chaos - this is not obedience.

The other day, my husband and I were talking about zeal and legalism. According to Webster’s, zeal is “eagerness and ardent interest in pursuit of something: fervor.” One significant difference between zeal and legalism is the fruit that each yields. Zeal comes from a deep desire for obedience, a longing to please our Savior. It yields the fruit that come from the Spirit of God: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Legalism can produce poster board cutouts of these fruits without having any substance or aroma to them. In reality, they rot and stink.

J.C. Ryle outlines zeal wonderfully:

“Zeal in religion is a burning desire to please God, to do His will, and to advance His glory in the world in every possible way. It is a desire which no man feels by nature - which the Spirit puts in the heart of every believer when he is converted - but which some believers feel so much more strongly than others that they alone deserve to be called ‘zealous’ men…. A zealous man in religion is pre-eminently a man of one thing. It is not enough to say that he is earnest, hearty, uncompromising, thorough-going, whole-hearted, fervent in spirit. He only sees one thing, he cares for one thing, he lives for one thing, he is swallowed by one thing; and that one thing is to please God. Whether he lives, or whether he dies - whether he has health, or whether he has sickness - whether whether he is rich, or whether he is poor - whether he pleases man, or whether he gives offense - whether he is thought wise, or whether he is thought foolish - whether he gets blame, or whether he gets praise - whether he gets honor, or whether he gets shame - for all this the zealous man cares nothing at all. He burns for one thing; and that one thing is to please God, and to advance God’s glory. If he is consumed in the very burning, he cares not for it - he is content. He feels that, like a lamp, he is made to burn; and if consumed in burning, he has but done the work for which God appointed him. Such a one will always find a sphere for his zeal. If he cannot preach, work, and give money, he will cry, and sigh, and pray…. If he cannot fight in the valley with Joshua, he will do the work of Moses, Aaron, and Hur, on the hill (Exodus 17:9-13). If he is cut off from working himself, he will give the Lord no rest till help is raised up from another quarter, and the work is done. This is what I mean when I speak of ‘zeal’ in religion.”
Practical Religion, 1959 ed., p. 130; Bishop J.C. Ryle

May this be an encouragement to you today. I especially hope this quoted section inspires you to be zealous for the Lord and His will; it certainly stirred me when my husband shared it. May we strive for a life of obedience, it is a joyous way to live!

Soli Deo gloria!
(Glory to God alone!)

October 03, 2021 /Amy Parsons
obedience, legalism, zeal
Gospel, Scripture
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Stranger Danger

August 23, 2021 by Amy Parsons in Faith, Gospel, Motherhood

Recently I took my kids to a lake that I grew up going to with my family. Little by little they waded into the water, until they were happily swimming up and down the roped-off area. A couple other youngsters swam in and out of the area we were in, talking and laughing along with us. One little girl, we’ll call her Jesse, latched on and stuck with us for a couple hours.

We made small talk and chatted about what foods we liked and didn’t like. She showed us tricks she could do, like underwater handstands and how long she could hold her breath. We smiled and cheered her on. Then we decided to swim out deeper, so the kids could touch the buoys on the rope. Her face fell when she realized she couldn’t swim that far solo and didn’t have an adult to accompany her. We figured it out and she took my hand, scared but wanting to conquer the challenge. She did it, minor freak-out and all.

When we got back into a shallow spot, she asked if we wanted some burgers.

“My mom’s boyfriend is making some, and we can share them,” she said happily. “But just not to strangers. I can only share with people I know. Not strangers. Cuz you know, stranger danger!”

I hid my surprise behind a smile.

Oh sweetheart, we are still strangers!

I tried not to show her my pain for her, having watched over the course of the morning how her mom was more interested in her boyfriend than her daughter. Her mom’s actions were not unnoticed by this sweet six-year-old girl.

But it got me thinking, as most things do.

Are there times in my life as a believer that I am happily into a situation or sin, unaware that I am supposed to be estranged from it? Am I looking for bigger, more obvious signs of “stranger danger” before taking necessary precautions?

Maybe it’s the small outburst of anger that I rationalize; it wasn’t that bad, I didn’t yell that loud.

Or a little white lie; literally everyone exaggerates. Literally. everyone.

Maybe it’s an extra nag here and there for my husband; he hates when I nag, but…

What is my standard? Is my standard what the rest of the world is doing, or even what my Christian friends are doing?

My standard should be the Word of God and how He tells me to live my life. Little sins add up quick on a slippery slope, and He tells us to flee them altogether. Don’t even get comfortable with them.

When we are tempted in the small things, let’s remember this verse:

“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.”
Psalm 19:14

May even the smallest thoughts and actions be pleasing to Him; may we love what He loves, hate what He hates. He is our strength, and our Redeemer!

And if you think of it, please lift Jesse up in prayer. God knows her by name - her mama and mama’s boyfriend too. Please pray that He will turn each of them to Himself, that they will repent of their sins and be given everlasting life. Pray that they will soak up His Word and thrive. Thank you. :)

August 23, 2021 /Amy Parsons
stranger danger, sin, comfort
Faith, Gospel, Motherhood
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Giving Good Gifts

August 04, 2021 by Amy Parsons in Gospel, Motherhood, Scripture

“‘Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!’”
Matthew 7:9-11

***

“I’m going downstairs to work on sharpening,” my husband said as he walked by me. “This kitchen knife is dull, right?”

I nodded, and thanked him in advance for sharpening it. The boys bounded down the stairs after him.

A few minutes later, my oldest came back up and started rummaging around in the living room.

“Mom,” he said as he walked back into the kitchen with a paper. “I need some tape, I’m folding this together to make it thick so Dad can test the knife on it.”

That’s pretty unnecessary, I thought as I grabbed the tape.

“Here bud.” I handed him a piece of tape and put the roll away.

“Mom, I need more,” he said.

“You really don’t…it’ll hold together just fine, and then Daddy will tear it.”

“Yeah but Mom,” he pointed to the sides. “I need a piece here and here.”

I reluctantly pulled two more pieces off the roll and gave them to him.

“Thanks Mom!” he beamed and raced back to the basement.

I turned and went back to cooking, realizing how stingy I can be.

If your son asks for bread, will you give him a stone? God is good at giving good gifts.

I didn’t want to waste tape on a paper that would be ripped up - but, really? An extra piece of tape wasn’t going to be a problem.

My children come to me and ask for things all the time. It’s a normal part of childhood, yes? If we, being sinful people, know how to give our children good gifts - how much more God gives good gifts to us. He is our perfect Father!

But after this interaction with my son, I realized I need to take a better look at how God gives me good gifts. There are times I am not as generous with my kids as God is with me. God provides food, clothing, sunshine; He gives us rain to grow crops; He graces our days with laughter and joy; He leads us to good books and podcasts and conversations with friends. He gives us encouragement through unexpected forms, and some of the material possessions He brings us are simply to put a smile on our faces. We have so much to thank Him for, He is infinitely generous!

When our kids come and ask for something, how do we respond? Do we answer out of laziness or apathy? Do we guilt them and withhold things because they haven’t been “good enough” that day? (If there is disobedience or an icky attitude, deal with it right away so that the relationship is restored asap. Repentance and forgiveness. Done. Can you imagine if God withheld His mercy and goodness from us like we sometimes do with our kids?!)

Sometimes we don’t recognize things as being a gift. To me, it was just a piece of tape being wasted on a paper. To my son, it was a necessary adhesion so that he could make his dad proud. It might be just a book, just five minutes of your time, just a glass of water, just a trip to the store, just ______. But to our children, it is often much more.

We have the perfect role model when it comes to giving good gifts. May we humbly ask Him to make us like Himself, and then look for ways to bless our children. We can learn from the best and be good at this!

August 04, 2021 /Amy Parsons
gifts, giving, generosity
Gospel, Motherhood, Scripture
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