Luke 6

It’s 7:30 am and I am just finishing up my quiet time with the Lord this morning. It’s always so hard for me to rise early these days. Must have something to do with growing a baby and chasing another one around all day. But, I tell you what, when my quiet time is finished, I’m SO GLAD I got up instead of sleeping just a little bit longer. God always has such profound things to teach me.

Read Luke, chapter 6 this morning. I LOVE this chapter. Jesus gives such wonderful examples of how to live and He inspires me to be a little more like Him each and every day. Here are some verses that stood out to me today…

Luke 6:20-23 (The Beattitudes)

“Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. Blessed are you when men hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven.” – straight from the mouth of Jesus.

The part in bold stood out to me. There have been many times when I have felt persecuted for certain decisions I have made because they seem “stupid” to others who don’t know the Lord. Jesus suffered much worse than I have. Others in other countries have been persecuted much worse as well. … As I grow in my faith and parent Cori, it is important for me to remember those bolded words. My goal as a parent is to raise children who love the Lord and desire to serve Him. That seems ridiculous to those who don’t know the Lord, but to God it makes perfect sense. People may judge our parenting style, but God will reward us in Heaven and that’s what matters.

 

Luke 6:35 (Loving Enemies)

“Love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back.” – Jesus.

Loving the unlovable is a command from Jesus. This definitely can be a daunting task. It’s so much easier to love those who love you in return, but the true test of our faith is when we truly love someone who doesn’t treat us as well as we’d hope. What an example this sets for our children who watch us so closely.

Luke 6:43-45 (Bearing Fruit)

“No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stores up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart, his mouth speaks.” – Jesus

We are the trees Jesus is talking about and our actions and attitudes are the fruit. I know I’m not perfect, but I pray that my life bears good fruit for the world to see so that others may know Jesus because of me. I LOVE the part in bold. Sometimes it’s such a heart check for me. I know my mouth is very capable of saying words that are unloving. It is out of the overflow of my HEART  that my mouth speaks. And, my little girl is watching.

Being a parent puts Jesus’ teachings into a whole new perspective. Not that they are any more or less important now that I’m a parent. I just think about His teachings with little eyes watching me ALL THE TIME! Thanking God for his example and the way He teaches and molds me. Praying I am a light for the world to see, especially for my children to see.

Happy Friday!