No matter your religion this is a GREAT message for all Parents.
Theme: Picture Perfect
Read: Romans 15:5-7 (NIV)
Reflect: Do you ever catch yourself (while at a store, or possibly even leaving church) observing another family and thinking to yourself, "Man, they have the perfect family. I wish I had that." Only to go back to your own family feeling bummed, thinking that the grass must be so much greener on the other side? I'm so guilty of that. And those are the moments when thoughts can start churning in my head, creating a bunch of unspoken expectations. Rather than building up my spouse and kids for all the great decisions they've already made, I'm busy creating my "room for improvement" list. And this, my friends, is totally exasperating!
As I've matured in my walk with Christ, those moments happen less and less. I've become more appreciative of the uniqueness of each individual in my family and willing to embrace our imperfections. Rather than striving to create a "picture perfect" image, I'm willing to admit that my husband is slightly less than perfect, my children still act like the world is going to end if I don't replay Elmo's World all day, my parents sometimes seem like they're from another planet, and that I can be a problem child. In spite of all this, I can look back and see the progress we've made as we've learned to focus on keeping God's perfect love at the center of our less than perfect lives.
React: Don't zoom in on what isn't; zoom out and be thankful for what is.
Pray: Lord, help me to see the beauty and uniqueness of the people you've placed in my life and to be thankful for them.
These weekday e-devotionals are written by a
team of volunteers from EastLake Church.
team of volunteers from EastLake Church.
To receive these daily messages, email: edevotional@eastlakechurch.com |
Eastlake Church (San Diego, CA)
