1 John 2:24-27
Keep thinking about the message you
first heard, and you will always be one in your heart with the Son and
with the Father. The Son has promised us eternal life.
I am
writing to warn you about those people who are misleading you. But
Christ has blessed you with the Holy Spirit. Now the Spirit stays in
you, and you don’t need any teachers. The Spirit is truthful and teaches
you everything. So stay one in your heart with Christ, just as the
Spirit has taught you to do.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
In
reading some of my mother’s prayer journals – and yes, she had SEVERAL –
I came across an entry from a couple of years ago alongside a
devotional titled, “A Mother’s Blessing.” My mother wrote, “I would
like to say that I encouraged my children. But I don’t know. I fear
that I may have imposed myself – my aspirations for them – my thinking
of what was right, good – best – for them. I can only hope that each
one knows – feels – the love I’ve always had for them. One of the
largest blessings – the greatest privilege – in my life is to be a
mother. She went on to talk about how a lot of how she perceived
herself for much of her life was through her own mother’s opinions. And
she concluded…”Yet, I am thankful for a mother who took me to church…who
fed, clothed and sheltered me well…who encouraged me in school and in
music.”
I share these personal insights to tell you that we will
always be surrounded by opinions. A lot of people will have aspirations
– and plans – for our lives. I admit…I picture Timothy, Zola, and
Nathan as college graduates with “successful” careers and happy
families…I desire that they excel in school and extracurricular
activities and have tons of friends and happy relationships.
But
what I most want for them…what really matters…is that they know
Jesus…that their little hearts are filled with the Holy Spirit. Then -
and only then – can they truly succeed and “excel.” With the Holy
Spirit as their “heartsong,” they can overcome any obstacle or
difficulty…they will have a core confidence and wisdom…and they will
know the truest love of all.
THIS is what my mother desired for
my sister, brother and me…and what her mother desired for her own
daughters. This is what God desires for all of His children,
including you and me…and what we should strive to instill in our own
offspring and others in our circle of influence. Instead of worrying
whether we are developing good athletes or the next President of the
United States, we should be focused on developing Christ’s next
disciples…and demonstrating in our own lives that we are powered by His Holy Spirit.
There
is only one opinion that matters…and it doesn’t belong to your best
friend…your parents or family members…your teachers, coaches or
pastor…or your “significant other.” The opinion we must seek and
nurture is that of Jesus Christ and His Holy Spirit. If we stay one in
heart with Him…He will guide each and every step of our lives, and we
will know true “success.”
The question of the day is
this…”Whose ‘heartsong’ guides you?” Let this be the day that you quit
worrying about the opinions of others and start to focus on the One who
really makes a difference!
©2016 Debbie Robus
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