“Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;) That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth. And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.”
Ephesians 6:1–4
A family is defined as “a group of persons who form a household under one head, including parents, children, and servants.” While not all families are alike, our families should be characterized by love—love that creates a close bond with the others members in the family.
During World War II and the holocaust, the lives of millions of people were taken. Solomon Rosenberg and his family were a few of the people murdered. Solomon Rosenberg, his wife, their two sons, and his mother and father were arrested and placed in a Nazi concentration camp. It was a labor camp and the rules were simple, "As long as you can do your work, you are permitted to live. When you become too weak to do your work, then you are exterminated."
Every evening Rosenberg came back into the barracks after his hours of labor and searched for the faces of his family. When he found them they would huddle together, embrace one another, and thank God for another day of life.One day Rosenberg came back and didn’t see those familiar faces. He finally found his oldest son Joshua in a corner, huddled, weeping, and praying. He said, "Josh, tell me it’s not true." Joshua turned and said, "It is true, poppa. Today, David was not strong enough to do his work. So they came for him." "But where is your mother?" asked Mr. Rosenberg. "Oh poppa," he said, "When they came for David, he was afraid and he cried. Momma said, `There is nothing to be afraid of, David,’ and she took his hand and went with him."
This family bonded together during a time of adversity. They loved one another and continued to grow in their love one for another. How can you have a pleasant family life? How are some people so happy to go home after work, while others work overtime just so they don’t have to go home?
It is because of love. When love is present in your family, you will become more patient and kind towards one another. No one likes constant conflict in the home. Yet, this seems commonplace in many families.
Do you love those in your family? Many times we say we love our families, but when was the last time you did something nice for them? Maybe it was fixing a meal, cleaning your home, or even just spending time with a family member. Even though you may see your family every day, you still need to take time to show them that you love them.
What is something special you could do for a member of your family? Make it a point today to ask God to help you cultivate love in your family. Ask Him to help you become kind and patient with others. Also, thank Him for the family He has given you. Don’t take your family for granted! Not everyone has a family! Thank God for them today.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Sunday, August 9, 2009
All I Need Is His Applause
“And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.”
Deuteronomy 6:5
A young man had been waiting for this precise moment to arrive. He had been preparing for what seemed like forever. His premiere appearance as a concert pianist was just moments away. With a spirit of anticipation, the audience filled the prestigious concert hall to listen to the new rising musician.
After the last note had been played, the pianist left no heart untouched. His masterful playing brought the audience to their feet for a thunderous standing ovation. Backstage, the young man’s manager congratulated him and said, “They want an encore! Get back out there!”
Looking strangely dejected, the pianist replied, “No, I’m not going back out there.”
His manager said, “But they love your playing! Look at them! They’re all on their feet!”
“Not all,” was the young man’s reply. “Look in the balcony.”
The manager peeked around the curtain and he saw one white-haired, old man in the balcony who wasn’t standing or applauding. “That’s one old man! So what?”
The pianist looked down at the floor and said, “That’s not one old man. That man composed the music; out of all the people in the audience, he knows how the music was to be played.”
In your pursuit to gain all the good things, don’t miss the best thing! You can gain the applause of men by “…eyeservice, as menpleasers,” but the applause of men do not surmount to the applause of our Creator, the one who specifically designed you and me to play—live the Christian life—the way He intended.
You cannot live God’s composition for your life on your terms and expect His blessings. You may be thinking, “God, I have worked so hard to serve You. Look at all that I have accomplished for You.” As God watches your life being played note by note, is He thinking, “Child, you play beautifully, but that is not the way I intended you to play”?
God intends for you to “…love the LORD thy God with all thine heart.” God wants your heart. He doesn’t need your abilities; He doesn’t need your creativity; He doesn’t need your talents. God needs your whole heart!
When you accomplish a task, and someone praises your hard work, do you find satisfaction with the applause of man? God is not interested in this type of service. When you sneak into your prayer closet after everyone has gone to bed and sacrifice sleep in order to know your Saviour better, God applauds.
Before God tells us to love Him with our strength, He tells us to love Him with our hearts. The pianist received everyone’s applause except the man’s whose applause meant the most. His strength brought praise, but the praise was worthless, because it lacked the affirmation of the composer.
We may live praiseworthy lives, but do our lives possess the approval of our Composer? Do we live our lives in such a way that when others look at us, they know we serve God because we love Him, and not because we want to accomplish, conquer, or impress? Continue to let God teach you how to properly play His music through His instruction manual. Read God’s Word and know that all you need is His applause.
Deuteronomy 6:5
A young man had been waiting for this precise moment to arrive. He had been preparing for what seemed like forever. His premiere appearance as a concert pianist was just moments away. With a spirit of anticipation, the audience filled the prestigious concert hall to listen to the new rising musician.
After the last note had been played, the pianist left no heart untouched. His masterful playing brought the audience to their feet for a thunderous standing ovation. Backstage, the young man’s manager congratulated him and said, “They want an encore! Get back out there!”
Looking strangely dejected, the pianist replied, “No, I’m not going back out there.”
His manager said, “But they love your playing! Look at them! They’re all on their feet!”
“Not all,” was the young man’s reply. “Look in the balcony.”
The manager peeked around the curtain and he saw one white-haired, old man in the balcony who wasn’t standing or applauding. “That’s one old man! So what?”
The pianist looked down at the floor and said, “That’s not one old man. That man composed the music; out of all the people in the audience, he knows how the music was to be played.”
In your pursuit to gain all the good things, don’t miss the best thing! You can gain the applause of men by “…eyeservice, as menpleasers,” but the applause of men do not surmount to the applause of our Creator, the one who specifically designed you and me to play—live the Christian life—the way He intended.
You cannot live God’s composition for your life on your terms and expect His blessings. You may be thinking, “God, I have worked so hard to serve You. Look at all that I have accomplished for You.” As God watches your life being played note by note, is He thinking, “Child, you play beautifully, but that is not the way I intended you to play”?
God intends for you to “…love the LORD thy God with all thine heart.” God wants your heart. He doesn’t need your abilities; He doesn’t need your creativity; He doesn’t need your talents. God needs your whole heart!
When you accomplish a task, and someone praises your hard work, do you find satisfaction with the applause of man? God is not interested in this type of service. When you sneak into your prayer closet after everyone has gone to bed and sacrifice sleep in order to know your Saviour better, God applauds.
Before God tells us to love Him with our strength, He tells us to love Him with our hearts. The pianist received everyone’s applause except the man’s whose applause meant the most. His strength brought praise, but the praise was worthless, because it lacked the affirmation of the composer.
We may live praiseworthy lives, but do our lives possess the approval of our Composer? Do we live our lives in such a way that when others look at us, they know we serve God because we love Him, and not because we want to accomplish, conquer, or impress? Continue to let God teach you how to properly play His music through His instruction manual. Read God’s Word and know that all you need is His applause.
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