Growing Pains

Posted by Traci at 10:35 PM

As I’ve said, I’m reading this book Lord Change Me, by Evelyn Christenson.  Some of the first lines are “Lord don’t change my husband, don’t change my kids, don’t change my friends, change me!”.  Sounds like a pretty bad prayer to me.  But God has been speaking to me through various means about that topic lately. Chelsea Cameron, wife of Kirk and mother of six, was on Focus on the Family the other day and had this to say:

“My husband was my number two priority.  That is wrong.  He is my helpmate, and should be my number one.  I should put his needs first, before mine, and even harder, before the kids.”

So true.  God help me do this and be thankful for the awesome teammate he is.

Also, she said this, which was about her husband but could really apply to anyone we come in contact with:

“I keep the little hurts and complaints in my back pocket. I hold them and grow them and pull them out when necessary. That is wrong. Eph 4:32 says, “Forgiving one another, just as God in Christ has forgiven you”.  Wow! I was not forgiving.  I was momentarily forgetting and then holding.  He doesn’t deserve it, I thought. What??  It is not Christ like to just momentarily forget. It is Christ like to truly forgive!”

She then talked about the Parts of Forgiveness, as outlined by James McDonald.

Step 1: Remember that God forgave me for EVERYTHING.  He didn’t pick certain things, but no that’s too big. No, everything!  God help me to keep no record.  Zero.

Step 2: Show love. Give my best. Being who I need to be for Jesus. Even if I don’t feel like it. God will produce the feelings.

Step 3: When I fail and start playing the tapes of  past wrongs in my head again, I go to the cross. Jesus I failed. Take this from me. Help me to be like you. Then start again.

This is Christ like living.  God help me to love people with the love of Christ. Not because of what they can do for me.  But because of what Christ did for me.