Do You Know Your ABC's?

THE ABC CONNECTION:  Anger---Bitterness---Control

My dog was sitting at my feet, while I was relaxing and enjoying a book.  Perfect picture, until he began looking at me and whimpering--trying to get my attention. Was it more food? I got up and checked his dish. It was full. Water dish?  Also full.  I walked to the door to let him out—he didn’t want to go out. I sat down and picked up my book again to continue reading. He came to my feet and continued to whimper. After a while I became angry inside—couldn’t figure out what he wanted. I COULDN’T CONTROL the situation and I became angry inside!

I began to think of other times I had been angered when encountering situations I COULD NOT CONTROL. Then I made the connection: I think I know what is right or best in a given situation. I push for my way or for my thoughts to be heard. I even pray that God will change a situation that I believe is wrong.  The pattern: unfavorable situation---I don’t get my way---the situation doesn’t change---I become angry inside. The anger is because I cannot CONTROL what I want or believe is best. I am not getting MY way!  When the anger is ‘nurtured’ it turns to bitterness.

We are warned many times to avoid anger that leads to bitterness.

Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many. Hebrews 12:15

Do not sin in your anger Ephesians 4:26

Powerful! And scary! My anger can lead to bitterness, which is like a POISON! And it not only affects me, but it can affect others.

“Lord, please use anger to get my attention, when it first hits my heart and alerts me to the fact that it’s happening because I’m wanting to be in CONTROL of a situation, or something or someone. And Lord, enable me by your grace, to immediately give the matter to you so You are in full CONTROL of the situation; and thus guard my heart from anger that can become bitterness which in turn becomes malice. I know,  the longer I hold on to it the more bitter I will become. I don’t want that, Lord. Help me to slow down and trust You.

Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger;  for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. James 1:19-20

I want to please You, Lord. I recognize that You are in control of all the circumstances of my life and I certainly don’t want others to be embittered because of my anger or bitterness.”

God has brought women across my path recently who have also recognized anger or bitterness in their lives.  I have shared these thoughts with them and they too, have been encouraged to turn loose of the anger and allow God to be the one in CONTROL of their lives rather than trying to control the circumstances and people around them. God is so very faithful to reveal truth to our hearts just when we need it.  We are responsible for responding to His Word and knowing our ABC’s to stop the connection:

Anger---Bitterness---Control

Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you,

along with all malice. Ephesians 4:31

Love The Lord with All Your Heart

I was recently thinking about Deuteronomy 6:5-9

 “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your mind and heart and with your entire being and with all your might. And these words which I am commanding you this day shall be first in your own minds and hearts; then You shall whet and sharpen them so as to make them penetrate, and teach and impress them diligently upon the minds and hearts of your children, 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. And you shall bind them as a sign upon your hand, and they shall be as frontlets [forehead bands] between your eyes. And you shall write them upon the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” (AMP)

 
The phrase ‘love the Lord’ brought back a memory from when I was 10 years old. I was listening to a missionary in our Sunday school class tell a story which deeply touched my heart. When I began to cry, a teacher came to me and said, “ If you say ‘I love Jesus’, then you can be a Christian like the boy in the story.”

I went away very sad that day because I could not say that I loved Jesus-- because I did not know Him.

 
To really love the Lord we must KNOW HIM! And it occurred to me while thinking about this passage, that the keys to teaching our children to know Him are outlined in these verses. First, God’s Word has to be in our own hearts before we can teach it to our children. God reveals Himself in His Word. As we see truths about Him we teach them to our children in the everyday circumstances of life—

When you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down and when you rise up!

 
When you ‘sit in your house’ do you teach your children that God is your Provider?

—He is the One who provides money to buy the food we eat, the house that keeps us warm, the clothing we wear; all the things we need and enjoy.

—Do you talk about that with your children?

If you don’t direct their focus to God, they will grow-up thinking YOU are their provider.

Then they don’t learn to depend on The Lord their God as provider.

—Do you teach them James 1:17 “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change”

In knowing His Word, they will know Him, and love Him more as Provider

 When you ‘walk by the way’ or drive them in your car, do you teach them that God is the Creator?

—He is the One who provided knowledge to the men who developed the automobile and He is the creator of the fuel underground that we use to power the engine.

—He is the One who made the trees, the flowers, the birds, the animals, the sun, the moon, the stars…….

—Do you talk about those facts with your children?

—Do you diligently impress on their heart and minds the source of knowledge found in Job 38:36

“The Lord puts wisdom in the heart and gives understanding to the mind”

In knowing His Word, they will know Him, and love Him more as Creator

 
When you ‘lie down’ with them at bedtime do you teach them that God is their Protector?

—He is the One who protects us throughout the day.  When someone was driving carelessly on the highway and God prevented you from an accident do you talk about Him being your protector?   Teaching them to thank Him; or do you let them think it was Dad’s skill in driving that kept the family safe?

—Do you pray with them before they go to sleep;  teach them to pray His word so they know they are safe in Him?

—Do you teach them Psalm 4:8 “In peace I will lie down and sleep; for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety”

In knowing His Word, they will know Him, and love Him more as Protector

 
When you ‘rise up’ in the morning, do you teach them that God is their all-in-all?

—He is the One we go to in the morning, to start our day in prayer.

—Do you teach them to go to the Lord throughout the day for their needs?

—Do you diligently impress upon them the importance of prayer as instructed in Psalm 5:3

  “In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly”

In knowing His Word, they will know Him, and love Him more as All-in-All

 
—Do you love the Lord with all your heart and know Him?

—Do you live according to God’s Word?  Do you impress His commands on your heart?

—Do you memorize God’s Word and teach your children to do that, so they may know Him?

How can a young man keep his way pure?
   

By living according to your word.

With my whole heart I seek you let me not wander from your commandments!

I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.

Blessed are you, O Lord; teach me your statutes!

 
As I think back on that experience when I was 10, I am reminded of how very faithful God has been to teach me about Himself through the circumstances of my life and through His Word. He is truly all He promises to be!

I do know Him and love Him with all my heart!  I want to love Him more as He continues to reveal Himself to me.

 
When you pray with your children about needs in the family and see God provide, they learn to know and love Him When you are intentional in learning to look for God in all the circumstances of your life and share with your children —His life—His character— they begin to see Him, know Him and grow in their love for Him. They experience His power, His grace, His strength, His peace, His joy, His piHoHos Hi His His patience, His love and all that He is and they learn to love and trust Him as you do.  This is your responsibility; you are with them everyday.
 
—Do you “teach and impress God’s Word, diligently upon the minds and hearts of your children, when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down and when you rise up?”   So one day, they can say:

 “I love Jesus with all my heart, because I know Jesus”