Are You A Speck Inspector?

by Jill Jackson

  Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the     best “speck inspector” of them all? 

Some women are married to bad men who participate in physically, emotionally, or spiritually destructive activities, and their life is miserable. This article is not addressing that particular challenge. I’m talking to many of us who still have the chance to make things better today, if we would start with . . . the woman in the mirror. 

A godly woman is willing to face the reality that she’s making some big mistakes. Doesn’t the Lord require us to ask tough questions? Looking into God’s word, what might we discover? Some might realize they’ve been majoring in minors, and that game leads to some major problems. Listen to Christ’s warning about holding others to a higher standard than we hold ourselves, and ask yourself: “Am I the ‘speck inspector’ in my home? 

“Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is a log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye” (Matt 7:3-5).

Many woman complain about domestic issues (e.g., the trash that didn’t get taken out or the dirty laundry left on the floor). Others raise relationship issues (e.g., the time a husband spends with his buddies). At some point, many women have thought: “I wish I could change______ about my marriage.” Translation: “I wish I could change_____ about my husband.” Therefore, the perceived remedy for marital happiness, becomes “changing” the husband.  

Unfortunately, this “solution” leads to more frustration and unhappiness, because the relationship is complicated by it, rather than enhanced. Are the thoughts and feelings you have for your husband compelling you to seek a solution? Will you choose to do something productive, or pointless? 

It’s pointless to have a lazer-like focus on what’s wrong with your husband. Do you struggle to see his good qualities because you focus on his faults (e.g., He works too many hours, verses he’s willing to put in long hours so I can stay home with our children)? Do you allow your energy to be drained by longing for all the things you don’t have . . . someone else who would be more attentive to you, who would help more around the house, who would not invite company over without asking, who would be more like so-and-so’s husband. Does the grass-is-greener-on-the-other-side mentality govern your mind? Nothing good can result from these pointless thoughts. 

There will be times when there’s a speck in our husband’s eye. Perhaps he does work too many hours. Maybe he struggles to find a balance between his job and his role as a husband and father. No doubt, he could be better in many ways. Can’t we all? Maybe some specks need to be addressed, but if your habit is to always focus on his faults, you have a log! 

If your desire is to change your marriage for the better, you need to quit engaging in pointless actions and start engaging in productive actions. Getting the log out of your eye is productive! Before you can address the speck, as someone with credible concerns, you have to get your heart right. You have to be open to seeing the truth about yourself. 

Christ addressed this principle when he said, “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness” (Matthew 6:22-23)! 

When “the eye” (e.g., the heart) is healthy, it focuses on good things (Philippians 4:8) and is full of light. Finding the good in others helps a person to be cheerful, pleasant to be around, successful in endeavors, and prosperous spiritually. 

If the eye is bad, the focus will be on all that’s wrong. The diseased eye surrounds the soul with darkness. It lacks good judgement and the ability to reason.  The bad eye creates a state of misery that leads one to spiritual poverty, or perhaps ruin (Mark 7:20-23). If you want to create positive changes in your marriage, you need “healthy eyes.” You have to be willing to see the good and put things in proper balance. 

 

Focusing on “what’s right” about our husbands is productive. This is where treatment for the “bad eye” begins. When we start to focus on that list of grievances, we need to stop in our tracks and pray for help. Then, we need to make a new list about “what’s right” with our husbands. Why did you marry him? What are the qualities you found endearing about him? Think on those things and thank God for those good things! 

Work to replace the negative feelings you have with positive ones. Robert Fulghum said, “The grass is greenest where it is watered.” Quit watering the grass of negativity and start watering the grass of positivity! Revive your feelings with thankfulness—gratitude for what you have instead of grumbling about what you don’t have. 

Focusing on things you can change is productive, and that means taking an honest look at self. What are your weaknesses? If you want to improve your marriage the journey starts with you. What can you do better as a wife? Could you be more patient and kind, more giving (1 Corinthians 13:4-7)? Could you apply the golden rule better (Matthew 7:12)? If you demanded more of yourself would it make your marriage better . . . even if your husband is not making the same effort?

Scripture indicates your example has the power to influence others for good. The Bible teaches that a wife, faithfully applying the scriptures to her life, can win a husband to Christ “without a word” (1 Peter 3:1-2). She also could help her child to become a dedicated servant of Christ (e.g., Timothy). By doing a better job of living and loving like Christ, can we make our marriages better? Absolutely. 

Can I say with certainty that, because of your positive efforts, your husband will address the speck in his eye? No, because we possess free will. But I can say with certainty that productive actions provide an avenue of hope for something better. Pointless actions, such as withdrawing, or fighting, won’t help a bit.

The closer you walk to God, the happier you’ll be as a person and a wife. Treat your husband like you want the Lord to treat you, and you’ll develop the patience and contentment that will help you keep the log out of your eye, so you can deal gently with the speck in his. 

Do marriages go through changes? Of course they do. Mort Fertel said, “Marriages change not because of what people say or how well they listen; marriages change because of what people do.” What are you going to do to change your marriage? Choose to be productive. Maintain a healthy perspective about your husband and yourself. Focus on what’s right. Work on your flaws. With God’s help, let your marriage change into something great by making yourself—the one person you can control—better. 

Sources

Fulghum, Robert. Robert Fulghum. Wikiquote. Web. 20 Feb.2014. 

Reich, Ashley. How To Save A Marriage: 6 Unconventional Tips. Huffington Post. Web. 01 July 2013. 20 Feb. 2014

Make Your Marriage Better, Not Bitter

by Jill Jackson

In their book Beyond Ordinary, Justin and Trisha Davis provide the following definition for resentment: “Grief that is not mourned, which becomes anger that is not resolved, which turns into bitterness that is unconfessed, which becomes resentment that is unforgiven” (ch. 9). There’s an old adage that time heals all wounds, but in some marriages time is not healing the wounds. No couples are perfect. At some point, more times than we would like to count, we will hurt each other. Many of these wounds are minor abrasions, but sometimes our words or actions cut deep. Deep wounds left unattended can become festering injuries that bleed at the slightest irritation. Untreated, these injuries can erode into marriage-altering resentments.

I grew up in the South. You probably can’t find a single Southerner who doesn’t know what kudzu is. Personally, I love those vines, but I recognize I’m likely in the minority on this one, because they’re a major problem. They grow like crazy! They attach to anything whether you want them to or not. Worst of all, kudzu is almost impossible to kill.

Resentment is a lot like kudzu. Once the seed of resentment takes root, it can grow out of control with little encouragement. It can be extremely resistant to logic and common sense. When resentment resides in your heart, it can attach to any thought or issue within your marriage and totally take over. 

Here’s an example. A wife is living with unresolved hurts, which have become a wedge in her marriage. Her husband is late for dinner, and she’s taking it personal. After all, she’s spent the afternoon ensuring a hot meal would be ready when he gets home. Now, dinner is cold and the kids are whining, and it’s his fault. Any thoughts that would give him the benefit of the doubt (such as there was an accident and he’s stuck in traffic) are unable to enter her mind. There’s no room for logical thoughts because the unresolved hurts keep the finger of blame on him. She feels unappreciated and taken for granted. There’s no ability for reasonable assumptions or explanations. Because resentment has so consumed her heart, his every action, or lack there of, must be one against her. Her resentment is a climbing vine attaching to things it ought not. Her husband is in a lose-lose situation—and doesn’t even know it.

Where does “kudz-entment” come from? Discontentment is fertile soil for resentment. As resentment grows, its stalks get thicker and its roots deeper. Intimacy suffers as emotional distance becomes an appealing refuge. Withdrawal is the fruit of this out-of-control, life-sapping vine. Distance and bitterness hardens hearts against forgiveness. Resentment becomes the silent assassin in many marriages. Is it pursuing you?

Forgiveness is the healing salve that protects our marriages from resentment. Extending our spouse forgiveness will not always be easy. It can be hard to let go of personal wounds, especially when the emotions and memories are vivid. It can be challenging to keep focused on moving forward, and not ruminate on what once caused us grief and strife. It can be downright difficult to forgive, even when we may know in our heart it isn’t deserved.

When forgiveness is hard, we should remember three things. First, we would likely be embarrassed—and humbled—to see on paper how many times our husbands forgave us when we didn’t deserve it. Marriage is a two-way street, after all.

Second, if we desire forgiveness from God, then we must offer it ourselves (Matt. 6:14-15). We must remember that we’re completely undeserving of God’s forgiveness, of Christ’s sacrifice, yet the moment any Christian asks for forgiveness, it’s freely given (1 Jn. 1:7-9). He loves … we need … he offers … we ask … he hears … we’re forgiven. But, if our policy is to withhold forgiveness from those who seek it, how can we call upon the Father to forgive us?

Finally, we should remember that forgiveness is a choice. Fertilizing your hard feelings is also a choice. The choices we make, whether good or bad, all have consequences—positive or negative. Christ taught this principle when he spoke of the decision all must make of which gate they will enter. “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few" (Matthew 7:13-14).

Just as living for Christ is not easy, there will be times when choosing to do right by our marriages will be hard. Bitterness is typical of the masses who spiritually live on Easy Street. It’s effortless to allow our self-talk to spiral out of control. It’s often perceived to be more comforting to lick our wounds, dig our heels in, and fight for the validation we seek. Holding grudges and being the “victim” isn’t hard for most. Yet a life, and a marriage, that willingly walks the wide and easy gate must remember it’s a life that leads to destruction.

That destruction may manifest itself in years of unhappiness, a lack of fulfillment, a loveless marriage, or even one filled with contempt that acts out in injurious ways. This cold existence can make one vulnerable to a sinful relationship with another and could ultimately carry an eternal cost.

Many are blinded to the reality that a marriage filled with bitter resentment has consequences that often reach beyond the spouse—on whom their anger is focused.

How many lives of children are forever changed because parents chose the wide and easy way? There’s nothing painless about the dysfunction, destruction, and dissolving of a home and family … nothing easy about feeling lonely and abandoned.

Though forgiveness can be a difficult spiritual quality to develop, the rewards for your family now and in eternity are well worth the investment. Mend the hurts in your marriage. If things are broken, fix them as much as possible. Do whatever promotes healing. Don’t choke the forgiving spirit out of your marriage and give the silent assassin an opportunity to pursue you.

Sources

 Davis, Justin and Trisha Davis. Beyond Ordinary: When a Good Marriage Just Isn’t Good Enough. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale, 2012. iBook edition.

Recommended Reading

Jackson, Wayne.The Devastating Effects of Divorce.

 https://www.christiancourier.com/articles/81-devastating-effects-of-divorce-the.

Jackson, Wayne. The Challenge of Agape-Love.

https://www.christiancourier.com/articles/78-challenge-of-agape-love-the.

Is Your Marriage Fractured?

by Jill Jackson

“From the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female. Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate” (Mark 10:6-9).

It’s plain to see from this passage, that when God created man in his own image and gave him a help meet (suitable) for him, he had a design for marriage, male and female, leaving and cleaving. This union is to be permanent and intimate on all levels. Sadly, many marriages are falling short of God’s ideal design.

Divorce is not just common in our society. It also has become common-place in the church. Divorce is occurring not only after a few short years together, but lately I’ve heard of several couples who’ve spent decades together, severing the commitment they made. It gives me pause to wonder how people can spend twenty, thirty or even forty years together and call it quits.

But then I realize my naive thinking. Just because they’ve lived together all those years doesn’t mean they’ve loved one another all those years. In reality something broke within those marriages—in some cases many, many years before, and was never fixed. Time continued to pass. Unhappiness within the marriage grew. Lives began to be lived separately until one, or both, found that all the reasons to stay together no longer outweighed the reasons to live apart. Marriages are not reaching their God intended potential. Homes are being broken. Souls are being lost.

People I know and love are settling to live in broken marriages because divorce is not a scriptural option, and fixing their problems in many cases requires things of them they aren’t willing to do. The home of such individuals frequently lacks hope, peace, and focus on living like Christ. In turn it becomes a place of inner turmoil, discontentment, and selfishness under the guise of self-preservation.

Sheryl Crow paints a vivid picture of such a home in her song Home.

I woke up this morning

Now I understand

What is means to give your life

To just one man

Afraid of feeling nothing

No bees or butterflies

My head is full of voices

And my house is full of lies

[Chorus]

This is home, home

And this is home, home

This is home

I found you standing there

When I was seventeen

Now I’m thirty-two

And I can’t remember what I’d seen in you

I made a promise

Said it everyday

Now I’m reading romance novels

And I’m dreaming of yesterday

[Chorus]

I’d like to see the Riviera

And slow dance underneath the stars

I’d like to watch the sun come up

In a stranger’s arms

[Chorus]

I’m going crazy

A little everyday

Everything I wanted

Is now driving me away

I woke this morning

To the sound of breaking hearts

Mine is full of questions

And it’s tearing yours apart . . .

Now, I’m not advocating the lyrics of this song, or any other Sheryl Crow song. I’m not advocating Sheryl Crow, or her lifestyle in any way, shape or form. I’m merely using these lyrics to illustrate the point that generally speaking, marriages that end in divorce often spend a period of time in a fractured state. The response of the couple to the fractures that threaten to sever their marriage will determine the outcome of their union.

Marriage is the foundation of the Christian home—a vital aspect of the Lord’s church (Titus 1:6). In an article titled, The Devastating Effects of Divorce, Wayne Jackson said, “When the family structure disintegrates, a significant factor in the growth of Christian faith is missing, and the gospel is hindered.”

At what point does the measure of health in a marriage hinder the gospel? At the point of divorce, or when a couple began to walk the path toward divorce? The disintegration of the family is no small thing. It’s draining, preoccupying, emotional, and there’s no way one experiencing that roller coaster of emotions can do for Christ what they would be able to do under emotionally healthy circumstances.

For many the new year brings an opportunity for introspection—a time to review the past and look toward the future. We take time to consider our strengths and weaknesses and strive to challenge ourselves to do better in the coming year. As you are doing that, I encourage you to consider the current state of your marriage. Are you living happily ever after? Have you reached a point for reasons you may or may not recognize, you’re merely coexisting? Are you living the life you hoped for when you said your wedding vows? Are there things broken within your marriage? Are you striving to fix them? Are you allowing time to pass while aware of fractures, feeling hopeless, settling for less than God’s design for marriage?

When things are going well it’s easy to love. The flip side of the coin is when things are going well, it’s also easy to hit cruise control and slack off. We get caught up in more pressing needs (ie. work, children, etc.). Though it may appear to be a harmless act at the time, these can be the beginning of fractures within marriages.

I don’t claim to have all the life experiences to answer every marital problem, but I’m convicted that God’s word is where we find the solutions to any and all relationship issues. Whether you feel your marriage is the Christ-centered, intimate relationship God intended, or if you feel somewhere along the way you ran off the road and into a ditch, I invite you to join me this month for Marriage Matters from Matthew. We’ll study principles found in Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount and consider how we can apply his teachings to our marriages, to bring them closer to the design God created.

Sources:

Image copyright: Lane Erickson, 25256186, 123RF.com

Jackson, Wayne. The Devastating Effects of Divorce. https://www.christiancourier.com/articles/81-devastating-effects-of-divorce-the

ABC's of Time Management

God wound the clock and the ticks were set into motion not millions of years ago, but just a few thousand years ago. From the fall of human kind, it has been man’s dilemma of how he will use the 1440 minutes gifted to him in a day. From the moment man and woman decided to rebel against God and were ejected from the perfect garden, there has been the feeling of not having enough time to do all we need to get done. In spite of the abundance of conveniences we have in the 21st century compared to our ancestors, no one has invented a gadget to produce more time in a day. We have all there ever will be here on earth.

Each new morning the gun is fired at the starting line, then we are off to the races. Some might call it the rat race. Instead of feeling like we are in a rat wheel going around and around not really getting anywhere, we can move ahead with purpose and direction. We can switch lanes from the frenzied fast track to the fruitful faith track. We can aim for a higher goal beyond the next task on our to-do list.

Conquering how to manage our time more efficiently is not like a mountain climb where we arrive at the top with no other peak to reach higher. Often, time management seems to be the monkey on our back that we might be able to tame for a while, but which will go wild at the least bit of disruption in our schedule. Amazon’s listing of 117,103 books on this subject is proof that people struggle with getting a handle on the activities that fill up their calendars. 

Maybe we could use some alterations of our view of time and see if we can free up some of this precious commodity in our schedules to accomplish the more important things in life. Here are some ABC’s of time management.

Accountability - We are mere managers for the One who owns everything (Psalm 24:1; Leviticus 25:23; Haggai 2:8; Romans 11:36a). We can conclude since he owns all things including the world, man, money and time, he has the right to hold us accountable for how we are caring for his creation. God, the righteous judge, will announce one day his verdict of whether we used our allotted time here on earth wisely by serving him and sharing the good news of salvation to the lost (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14; Romans 2:6-11).

Many individuals find being accountable to someone else helps them achieve a goal. This is accomplished many times when two people are wanting to lose a few pounds. The sting is felt a bit more if you have to confess eating a Twinkie to your dieting partner. You feel like you have let her down. The celebration of success is also sweeter with a friend when you have worked on a project together and held each other accountable for certain tasks.

Try this: Keep a log of what you do on an average day, and evaluate what you need to trim or cut out altogether to recover a few precious minutes. If you really want to make a difference, share your log with a friend who might help you improve your time management skills or offer words of advice. It is never too early to teach these principles to our children. Help them make lists of chores to accomplish in a day. Guide them in keeping God a priority in their busy schedules.

Busy Bodies - We usually use this expression in a negative sense, but God calls us to be busy using our bodies in doing his business. Jesus had a handle on this, even at the tender age of twelve when he told his parents it was only natural that he be about his Father’s business (Luke 2:49). Why do we find ourselves giving so little time to the One who blessed us with it? Do we have the mentality of clocking in and out on God’s time when in reality it is our purpose to dedicate all of our life and all that we do with him in mind.

Try this: Make a list each night before you go to bed of the activities that you need to accomplish the next day. This helps you hit the ground running and not have to spend the morning hours pondering what you must get done. Suggestions to your list could include: meditate on God’s word, prayer, hug your child, encourage your husband in a special way, leave an uplifting note on the doorstep of a neighbor, or invite someone to the worship times when the saints are gathered together. These tasks may seem silly to place in a day planner, but when you purposefully run your day instead of your day running you, a true sense of priorities can be achieved.

Choices - It has been estimated that the average human makes over 600 decisions a day. That number may seem overwhelming, but most these decisions are made without a conscience effort. For the busy woman, days seem like a tug of war where the urgent matters seem to be winning over the important ones. God knows us best and knew we would struggle with various daily “forks in the road.” He did not leave us hanging without a go-to manual to keep us on track and to help us refocus on what are truly the good things in life. Look into his Word daily for guidance and emulate the faithful heroes that strived to live in God’s favor. What we value most in life becomes our priority. Let us spend our time on things that will be everlasting. (Matthew 6:21) Seeking godliness is always a wise investment of our time (1 Timothy 4:8).

Try this: Make a list of goals that you want to accomplish, then break them down into one, five, and ten year goals. Do this activity as a family. Revisit your list every month to see your progress. Make it a game and see what great things your family is doing together for the Lord. Jim Rohn, a popular motivational speaker, once said, “Plans in our heads are just dreams, but when you put them down on paper they become dreams with deadlines.”

With each new year, it has become tradition for the human race to make resolutions. Each new morning brings new blessings and an opportunity for new resolve to serve our Lord with more vigor than when we laid our head on the pillow the night before. Do not hang on to the past, neither relishing in successes or wallowing in shortcomings. Lack of direction, not lack of time, is usually our problem. Don’t give up! Managing our time for the Lord is an ongoing process to be tweaked on a daily basis. It is a challenge to manage the affairs of our day, but the key to a more peaceful way is to not crowd out the One who gifted time to us in the first place.

It is fitting that the final book of God’s word contains this promise that still applies to us today. “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on. Blessed indeed says the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them” (Revelation 14:13). How are we spending our time as we wait for the Lord to return? You would benefit greatly with further study on the value of waiting on the Lord with this article: https://www.christiancourier.com/articles/1526-value-of-waiting-on-jehovah-the 

What Is Time?

by Betty Jackson

With the beginning of the new year, many reflect upon bringing more order, self-discipline and spirituality into their lives. Seriously considering how to use our time should bring the realization that we are responsible for using it wisely.

On the other hand, it is amusing to read the atheists’ pontification on the topic of time. Sean Carroll, a “theorist physicist at Cal Tech” has a quest to explain time (http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2010/02/what-is-time/). As he puzzles over this theme, he wonders why the Big Bang began with such “exquisite order” only to deteriorate thereafter. Mr. Carroll claims that the Big Bang occurred 13.7 billion years ago. Others speculate that the universe is between 15 to 20 billion years old. In defense of evolutionary ideas, George Wald wrote, “Time is in fact the hero of the plot. ... What we regard as impossible on the basis of human experience is meaningless here. Given so much time, the ‘impossible’ becomes possible, the possible probable, and the probable virtually certain. One has only to wait: time itself performs the miracles” (The Origin of Life, Scientific American, August 1954, p.48).

In reality the evolutionists do not have the amount of time they claim. Their dating methods are filled with assumptions.* Creative power is not resident in time. If there ever was a time when nothing existed, nothing would now exist. The eternal Creator created everything in six days. (Exodus 20:11).

What then is time? Time has been described as a parenthesis within eternity. (Wayne Jackson. The Biblical Concept of Time. https://www.christiancourier.com/articles/437-biblical-concept-of-time-the.) It has a beginning and an end (Gen. 1:1; 1 Cor. 15:24). It is part of the physical world in which we live, marked by sunrise and sunset, the moon’s orbit, and Earth’s orbit around the sun each year. Within time, through providential and supernatural means, the plan of redemption was gradually revealed, then brought to fruition. At just the right time, baby Jesus was born according to the prophecies of the Old Testament (Isa. 7:14; Dan. 2:44, 9:23-27; Gal. 4:4-5); and when the appointed day came, the church burst into existence (Acts 2). We sing the lyrics written by Philip Doddridge, “Happy day, happy day, when Jesus washed my sins away.” Because of the love of God and Christ’s determination to carry out the plan at Calvary, we can rejoice! 

With this new year, let us consider another part of the hymn:

“O happy day, that fixed my choice 

On Thee, my Savior and my God!

Well may this glowing heart rejoice,

And tell its raptures all abroad.

Let us remember the day we made that choice to fix our lives on being obedient servants to an Almighty, loving Father and our Brother, the King of Kings (Heb. 2:11; Rev. 19:16). If we have failed to make that decision, we must understand that time is of the essence! There is a deadline.

Human experience has demonstrated the truth of the Scriptures that our life span on average is 70 years (Ps. 90:10). To the young, that seems like a long time. For the 70 year old, it isn’t very long! In reality, life is like “a vapor that appears for a little time, and then vanishes away” (Jas. 4:14). There is little time to prepare for our life’s end.

While the evolutionist vainly busies himself looking for the time he believes exists to prove his case, we must spend our time being productive for eternity. Paul urges us to live wisely “redeeming the time, for the days are evil” (Gal. 5:15-16). “The Christian must cherish every opportunity for good, buying them up like precious commodities” (Wayne Jackson. A New Testament Commentary. 2011. Christian Courier Publications: Stockton CA.) Time is a consumable. Once used, it cannot be reused!

We have “only a little while to walk in the light and joy of the loving service of Christ the Lord” (Burton Coffman. Coffman’s Commentary on the Bible.(cf. http://www.studylight.org/com/bcc/view.cgi?bk=48&ch=5).

The evolutionists squander their short lives, looking for historical time that doesn’t exist. We can be just as careless by wasting our precious hours day by day. As we meditate on resolutions, let us truly vow to use our time for the Lord and his cause, “telling its raptures abroad” to the lost and dying world.

References:

*Jackson, Wayne. Age of the Earth.  https://www.christiancourier.com/articles/7-age-of-the-earth-the

*Miller, Jeff. Don't AssumeToo Much, Not All Assumptions in Science Are Bad. http://www.apologeticspress.org/apcontent.aspx?category=9&article=1686

https://www.christiancourier.com/articles/461-did-isaiah-prophesy-the-virgin-birth-of-christ; 

https://www.christiancourier.com/articles/1243-how-can-the-church-be-the-fulfillment-of-daniel-2-44; 

https://www.christiancourier.com/articles/14-daniels-prophecy-of-the-seventy-weeks)

(Note: Hour glass is from Wikipedia: Copyright (2014) Betty Jackson.

Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document

under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2

or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation;

with no Invariant Sections, no Front-Cover Texts, and no Back-Cover Texts.

See terms of use at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Wooden_hourglass_3.jpg)

New Beginnings–An Introduction

   The Women of Hope “blog” has been on my mind for a while. I had discarded the idea of the blog because there are many good articles on the internet by Christian women. And the past few years have been distracting, with Wayne’s surgeries, taking care of my mother, then tending to her affairs after she died. There has been much catching up since then.

With the coming of the new year, I decided it is time to do more writing. However, Women of Hope will be different. The “Christian Courier women” will contribute articles and book reviews. We know how busy you are, so our articles will be not be lengthy, but hopefully relevant and helpful.

Christian Courier Publications is important to each of us. Though we have not written anything major or well-known, we support our husbands with the “Courier” mission. We are delighted when we learn of someone obeying the gospel because of our efforts. There are thousands of people who daily find the productions of this work helpful. We hope to share that kind of news with you throughout the year.

Who are the “Christian Courier women”?  We are Betty Jackson, Sandy Jackson, Jill Jackson, and Tyrian Boggs (Tyrian is unable to be part of Women of Hope at this time due to heavy responsibilities. However, she is vital to our work and we appreciate her.) We will contribute articles to Women of Hope as we are able. 

Links are below to learn more about us.

        About Sandy Jackson          About Jill Jackson     About Betty Jackson

We hope and pray that this site will be of value to you in your work for the kingdom of our dear Lord.

With Love,

Betty Jackson

Jason and Jill Jackson

Wayne and Betty Jackson

Jared and Sandy Jackson

Teaching Children About Giving

As a child I was blessed to have been taken to the Lord’s worship services by an aunt and her husband. I can still remember lessons that I heard. I have no doubt that having early exposure to the church is part of the reasons I am a Christian. However, I learned little about giving. I saw adults give one dollar on Sundays. So what did I do when I first obeyed the gospel? I gave a dollar! It took time and teaching for me to learn the Lord’s instruction on giving.

How can we train our children in the matter of contributing on the Lord’s day? It isn’t really a difficult command to understand. However, a generous disposition must be cultivated in the heart. A person who fails give as required by the Lord reflects either an ignorance of what he expects, or deeper spiritual problems. A grudging giver is weak in appreciation for what God has done.

Parents ought to help young children learn about giving from the time they are very small. The reasoning behind having them place their pennies into the contribution plate is to develop a habit, but it isn’t enough instruction. As children begin to understand and are able to do a little math, they are old enough to learn about how to give. However, before children are able to “purpose,” they can learn to be grateful, which is paramount to becoming a “cheerful giver.”

Bible class teachers can help parents by teaching the many Bible history stories about people who were grateful, and who gave because of their appreciation for the Lord’s help and care. A series of lessons on thankful people would be a profitable study.

Abraham (Abram) learned of the capture of Lot, his family, and goods by marauding kings. After an exciting chase, Abraham and his 318 trained men, rescued Lot and his family and belongings.  On his way home, Abraham met Melchizadek, a priest of God, who declared that it was “God Most High” who was the true deliverer. With a thankful heart, Abraham gave a tenth of all of his goods. (Genesis 14.)

One of the few high points in the hearts of the Israelites after they were brought out of Egyptian bondage were their generous contributions to the work of building the Lord’s tabernacle and its furnishings inside and out. They gave out of “willing” hearts. They gave so much that they were restrained from giving any more! The heart is involved in contributing to the Lord’s work (cf. Exodus 35:21-29; 36:5-7).

When Daniel heard of the decree that prayer to Jehovah was against the law, he prayed and “gave thanks” even though he knew his life was at risk (Daniel 6:10).

Of course, we all know the account of the widow and her two mites. Why did she give the last that she had? Was it not that she was thankful for her life, and for the Almighty God? It surely wasn’t because she couldn’t have used those last coins in her possession. Else, the Lord would not have complimented her so greatly as being more generous than those who gave more than she (Mark 12:41-44; Luke 21:1-4) (cf. http://www.christiancourier.com/articles/650-a-tribute-to-a-nameless-widow).

Paul concludes 2 Corinthians 9 with “Thanks be to God for his unspeakable gift.”  Paul connects a grateful heart to generous contributing to the Lord’s work as he urges the brethren to complete a previous pledge (2 Corinthians 9:5). 

From the time a child is in a cradle roll class, teachers need to be expressing thankfulness for Jesus in lessons, songs, and prayers. For none of us will obey the command to give out of selfless motives, unless we are thankful for the love of Christ for us, and the amazing gift of himself that he gave.

In his article, Giving As An Act of Worship, Wayne Jackson shows that God views giving as sacrifices of worship (http://www.christiancourier.com/articles/918-giving-as-an-expression-of-worship). Since we are to worship in spirit and truth, we need to teach our students that the Bible does have some guidelines for giving. The new covenant does not demand tithing, as required under the Old Testament regime. It has been well argued that we are under a better covenant. So how can we give less? One may say they are unable to give a tenth. That may be true in the case of some poor widow who doesn’t have enough for her living. However, how many of us could cut down on luxuries? Those in affluent societies have become so accustomed to things/activities that are expensive luxuries, so that they are now viewed as necessities. Many of our children’s activities are expensive. Children benefit more by teaching them that giving comes before the extras. When God comes first, so does giving.

It will be beneficial for children to learn early in life that giving is to be done every first day of the week (1 Corinthians 16:2-4). (Note that some of the later versions include the word every translating the Greek word kata.)  Proportionate giving can be easily taught, using coins as visual aids, children old enough can grasp the idea. With effort, a series can be developed using several Bible stories, and the examples of Christians recorded in the New Testament (Barnabas, the Macedonians, the Philippians, etc), and providing some instruction on how and when to give.

If the children in our congregations were taught from early childhood about giving from thankful hearts, would not the church be able to do much more evangelizing in the next generation? May parents and teachers make every effort to help children grow in this grace also (2 Corinthians 8:7).

Recommended Reading:

Mac Layton - This Grace Also

Melissa Lester - Giving For All It’s Worth