Christians, once I was watching a man give a speech. He talked about how his father was an immigrant and how he worked really hard to make an opportunity for his son to have a better life than he had. He was telling how his father was a banquet bartender at events much like this evening. He explained his father worked hard in the back of the room quietly to make it possible for his son to be in a position to be a public servant making a speech in the front of the room.
As I was moved by the sacrifices his father made for his son, I received further revelation when my wife and I were talking later. We have been through tests and trials. We have sacrificed our own comfortable physical lives to go hard after God. We’ve pressed on through, lengthy trials, believing in utter blind faith. We have taken stands that were righteous but unpopular and have been put in situations beyond our control to learn to trust. Sure we did it for our own Christian walk, our relationship with God, and there will be a level of success in heaven on account of our willingness to submit and obey. But I realized that it goes much deeper.
Before I was saved, I wandered aimlessly struggling to find my own way in this world. Then I got on track with God and now I can teach my children how to find Him, so they do not have to wander. I sacrifice, I do without, to learn what is to truly a want and a need, so I can teach them to find simplistic happiness and not constantly feel in need for anything. I cry out from a lonely, quiet place, yearning to hear a simple word from God, so that I can learn to hear His voice and lead my children to hear it too. I serve others selflessly without thought or thanks, so I can be humbled to teach my children to humbly serve. I crucify my flesh to the non-sins, (non-necessary luxuries of the flesh) so I learn to find contentedness in God alone, to raise my children to be sufficient in God.
Why do I do all this? How can I find the motivation to do all this? I try to imagine this scenario in heaven – I like to think we will be close to and have intimacy with God in accordance to how we pressed in and lived down here. So I strive to live my life, and get my flesh under control, and so maybe I get to be in the 30th row of an audience with the King. I sacrifice, I strive for my kids, so that maybe I will look forward and see them in the front row, at the feet of Jesus, the best place I could imagine them to be. I don’t know if the scenario will play out, but it is enough motivation to live differently, to sacrifice, to teach them, and to passionately pursue a close and intimate relationship with God now.
Father God, we pray that you would help us to live eternally minded. We pray that you give us the proper motivation to pursue you with purpose. We pray that we live differently here, so that we would also live differently there with you forever. We thank you that we can be an example and an inspiration to those around us and bring honor and glory to you, in Jesus name, Amen.
Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it. Proverbs 6:22 (NASB)
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. You shall diligently teach them to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. Deuteronomy 6:5-7 (NASB)
Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them fade from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and their children after them. Deuteronomy 4:9-10 (NIV)
That is why we labor and strive, because we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, and especially of those who believe. Command and teach these things. I Timothy 4:10-11(NIV)
written and posted by Daniel Poggensee | 2019
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