Delight

Last night I had a great desire to have time to myself. My pregnant body groaned to rest and read and be a vegetable. Instead I had a great time of fellowship with my husband. I took great delight in him. And the joy and reward which came from God took my breath away. I don't always make the right decision with relationships, but I always aim to ;-).

"Delight thyself also in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart" Psalm 37:4

The gifts of God sometimes come unexpectedly. I used to think that if I just had enough Bible study, or enough prayer, or drew near enough to my Lord, then surely I would begin to experience more of him. To feel the warmth of His love everyday. To grow closer to Him with my smiling face turned expectantly toward His rays. And surely these strivings are beneficial in every way, but they are not all there is to it.

I've since learned that "Delighting thyself also in the Lord" extends beyond fellowship with Jesus. If I am not delighting myself in my husband, then I am limiting my Lord's blessing upon me. If I am not delighting myself in my children, then my Lord is not pleased with my attitude. When I consider some great scriptural exhortations to love, it begins to clarify.

"Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38This is the first and great commandment. 39And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 40On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." Matthew 22:37-40

"A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." John 13:34-35

"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. " John 15:13

"Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: " 1 Peter 1:22

"We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death." 1 John 3:14

"And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment. " 1 John 3:23

The Lord saw fit to repeat this command over and over in the scriptures, especially in the book of John. It is emphasized like nothing else by our Lord, but I believe it is easy to think of "love" like a cliche and gloss over the true meaning. All of the verses I quoted above, except 1 Peter 1:22, which refers to brotherly affection, refer to the same love that God bestows upon us, that of "agapao".?? This is the amazing, unconditional love which is found in the Lord Jesus Christ and that He commands should come forth in His believers. I feel that I should emphasize that He commands it again and again and again!

O mother of young children, have you ever been angry with a little soul who seems bent on thwarting your will? I have certainly been in such a state a time or two; less as time goes by. But nothing stops up the flow of God's love more than a bitter spirit (if we do not forgive others, how will he forgive us?). Try this one on for size: "In the name of Jesus Christ, I reckon myself to be dead indeed to an angry and bitter spirit, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ my Lord" -Romans 6:11 There is nothing like the Word of God, spoken with real faith, to unclog the sin-clogged soul.

However, there is more to love than feelings and behavior. We can love our families well through planning. By having the children's day organized and taking the time to plan out activities and meals in advance, we can then focus in on teaching the children without distractions. So planning builds a foundation upon which the rest of parenting can then rest. And lack of planning can become the ultimate distraction. I know, because I struggle in this area. Over and over again I have said, "If only I stayed up and planned all this out! Things would have turned out differently..." (Visit Candy's blog for a list of links to other blogs where mothers have laid out their schedules. It is a great resource.)

So I exhort mothers of young children, including myself, to delight in your husband, in your children and in others with whom you have contact, and to plan out your days with little ones. For in doing so, you are loving our Lord, and obeying His commands. And I can't help but sing this beloved children's song:

This is my commandment that ye love one another, that your joy may be full,
This is my commandment that ye love one another, that your joy may be full,
That your joy may be full!
That your joy may be full!
This is my commandment that ye love one another that your joy may be full.