Behave or Behold?

Fruitful Motherhood: Behave or Behold?
By: Brittany Shields

“God has given us everything we need for life and godliness.” (2 Pt 1:3)

Well, we’ve talked about all nine qualities listed in Galatians, so we’re good now!

Go forth and be fruitful.

Done and done.

Eh. Not so much.

Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control do not come easily.

Bridges wraps up his book by giving us two things we need to grow in our devotion to God and therefore grow in his likeness.

We need to rely on the Holy Spirit to work in us. And we need to have an appropriate balance of the three elements of devotion: fear, love, and desire.

“To seek to grow in the fear of God without also growing in our comprehension of His love can cause us to begin to view God as far-off and austere. Or to seek to grow in our awareness of the love of God without also growing in our reverence and awe of Him can cause us to view God as a permissive and indulgent Heavenly Father who does not deal with our sin.”

Reading the Bible and praying will continue to help us know our God and keep ourselves in right posture before him.

But we’re going to mess up.

How do we handle that?

If you feel like you can never measure up and you fail at bearing fruit every day, then read Jared Wilson’s fantastic book The Imperfect Disciple.

I love how he emphasizes Romans 8.

(It’s actually my favorite chapter in the Bible. If you do this Romans study, memorization of this chapter is incorporated)

He says he wakes up every day in Romans 7 knowing he is living in the flesh. Fighting against his sin nature.

“Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?” (Rm 7:24)

But he preaches God’s mercies of Romans 8 to himself. That there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. That the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. That if we have the Spirit we set our minds on things of the Spirit. That we are more than conquerors.

“For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.” (Rm 8:2)

“You introduce the truth of Romans 8 to every corner of the room, every dark place in your heart, as often as you can, as much as you can, as fiercely as you can. Every day. It has to happen every day. Because what’s wrong with you and me is that we’re still on this side of glory, and so long as we’re on this side of glory, there will always be more sanctifying to go through.” (Wilson)

He goes on to say this:

“I take a look at my messed-up soul every day. I feel completely overwhelmed and underequipped. And so I hold on to the gospel. I pour some gospel into my soul. I am good to go another day. I might be crawling through that day or I might be balled up in my bed, unwilling to charge the Valley of Elah that is my life, but the smile of God is over me continually. Day and night his steadfast love sustains me.” (Wilson)

I love that. God sustains us. He is strong when we are weak.

He shows us what his character is and he asks us to deny ourselves and become more like him, and THEN he gives us the power to do it.

It’s not overwhelming because it’s not up to us. Of course we are responsible for our words, actions, and thoughts, and we need to strengthen our will and move toward righteousness, but God is at work in us and he will bring it to completion.

“‘For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.” (Is 55:10-11)

There is hope and confidence in our struggle. And so we struggle with joy! We don’t despair because we serve a big and mighty God!

Like Wilson says, we rest in the gospel which says, it is finished!

“We are holy not because of what we’ve done but because of what Jesus has done. This is why the good news is so good! The essential message of Christianity isn’t ‘do’ but ’done’. The good news is news, not instruction, and it announces to us not ‘get to work’ but ‘it is finished.’” (Wilson)

I hope this blog series hasn’t bogged you down in the weeds of ‘behaving.’ Satan wants us to view obedience like a checklist, a way of earning our salvation. Obedience teeters on the edge of self-reliance. If I can accomplish such and such, it is enough, God will love me and save me.

But Wilson challenges us to Behold. Not merely behave. Behold your God.

“What all this boils down to is this: we have, fundamentally, a worship problem, and so long as we are occupying our minds with little, worldly things and puny, worldly messages, we will shrink our capacity to behold the eternal glory of Jesus Christ, which is the antidote to all that ails us.” (Wilson)

You will bear fruit in your parenting if you behold your God.

“Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (Jn 1:29)

G.K.Beale says, “What people revere, they resemble, either for ruin or restoration.”

Standing in awe and fear of God will drive us to become more like him.

Beholding our God inevitably reminds us of his love for us.

He is big and mighty but he is near and loving. Thank you, God.

When I don’t want to sacrifice my time for my kids, and when it’s hard to forgive them, behold my God.
When bitterness and resentment creep in because my life is not what I had planned, behold my God.
When worries about my kids keep me up at night, behold my God.
When I’m tired of reading the same books and answering the same questions and saying no to more snacks, and I’m exhausted from the constant chaos, behold my God.
When I do something special for my kids and they respond with selfishness and ungratefulness, behold my God.
When I experience pain and grief and I don’t have any answers for it, behold my God.
When I want to exercise my authority over my children in a harsh and manipulative way, behold my God.
When I struggle to say no to every selfish thought, word, and deed that is waiting for a foothold, behold my God.

“The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life.” (1 Tim 1:15-16)

“The practice of developing our relationship with God should never be thought of as drudgery. We are seeking to grow in our devotion to the most wonderful Person in all of the universe, the infinitely glorious and loving God. Nothing can compare with the privilege of knowing Him in whose presence is fullness of joy and in whose hand there are pleasures forever. From this joyful relationship flows the rich harvest of our transformed character.” (Bridges)

Nourish and Fortify

“Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth; unite my heart to fear your name.” (Ps 86:11)

“For this reason I bow my knees before the Father… that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith— that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” (Eph 3:16-19)

“One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple… I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living! Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!” (Ps 27:4, 13-14)

“Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live; and I will make with you an everlasting covenant…” (Is 55:2-3)

Pray

Dear God,

Thank you for your love. Thank you for your Son. Thank you for your Spirit. Thank you for your mercies that are new every morning. Thank you for my supportive and God-fearing husband. Thank you for our four challenging and hilarious children. Thank you for your Word.

Help me to behold your greatness. When I’m struggling as a parent, help me not to look inward, but to look upward. To know that you will give me the power to choose righteousness. That you are sanctifying me and that obedience is a better choice than self-fulfillment and self-satisfaction.

How incredible of a God you are! You created and sustain the whole world! You defeated sin and death! You see all and know all and yet you still love me and are drawn to me. Your works are amazing and I am overwhelmed by who you are.

The fruit of the Spirit only begin to show your character. Teach me more about you! Reveal yourself to me. You are the only constant in my life and I need you. I need you so much.

Sanctify my family and me and make my home a place that reflects who you are.

In Jesus’ name,

Amen

Books Referenced:

The Fruitful Life: The Overflow of God’s Love Through You by Jerry Bridges

The Fruit of the Spirit: Walk by the Spirit, Bear His Fruit by Sarah Morrison (The Daily Grace Co.)

The Imperfect Disciple: Grace for People Who Can’t Get Their Act Together by Jared Wilson

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