More on Truth

I am obviously not paying attention to myself, because when I sat down to type this, my goal was to write a post on Truth. Turns out I did that the other day. Apparently, God is still teaching me on this subject, because Truth is still on my heart and mind. I have been thinking about the truth of who God is, the truth of what Jesus did, the truth of who I am in Christ. And I am wondering if I am doing an adequate job of passing along those Truths to my children.

I wrote last week that I often struggle with "worldly knowledge" as it pertains to educating my children. Yesterday, I was reading in Ephesians 6 about Armor of God.

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm." Eph. 6:10-13.

One explanation I read on these "schemes of the devil" suggested that the "authorities" (or "powers", as some translations read) doesn't refer to spiritual beings, but to our own authority or power...in other words, it refers to the "rights" we have in ourselves to govern and control ourselves. That explanation really made sense to me. One of our greatest struggles is against our selves...against what we think is "right", what we want. In Christ, those things are counted as lost. As my pastor says, "Dead men (and women) don't have rights."

When I struggle with what the world says I should do in regard to teaching my children, much of that struggle is really against myself. Will I listen to the "experts" or will I listen to God? Do I know what is "right" for my children? No. If I am completely honest, and completely submitted to God, I do not. He knows what is best for them. I have to walk in that Truth every day.

I have to go back, every day, to what I KNOW He has called me to do. It's that same passage I keep going back to.

"Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to 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. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates." Deuteronomy 6:4-9

That is what I am commanded to do first and foremost. Everything else falls within these parameters. I realize that many people will read this and think I am neglecting many things. But I say that all of those "things" will fit into these parameters if I keep his commands first. In other words, when I begin to worry, or struggle, or (wost of all) panic, I have to go back to this command. Do the best things first. Every time I do this, He points me back to what I need to do. His ways are mysterious. I don't think I can accurately explain all this means. But I can say with certainty that it has worked every time. And so I continue to do it.