June 17 - Developmentally appropriate
Scripture focus: God spoke to Moses: "Speak to the congregation of Israel. Tell them, Be holy because I, God, your God, am holy. Leviticus 19:2 (The Message)
I'm an average mom - making tons of mistakes as I seek to love my children with all my heart, mind, soul and strength. Unlike God, I know that my shame and sin sometimes cause me to stumble in my parenting potential. I assume that my children's shame and sin has on occasion hindered them from receiving even my successful days of loving them well. So loving is a messy business, fraught with all sorts of ways to muck up our relationships.
When I read that God instructs me to be holy, I have to pause to prepare over that instruction. Could it be that God has finally over-reached our potential?
Plenty of pausing later, I realize that even my feeble attempts at parenting would never place my children in a position of having to over-reach. Even an average, often-gets-it-not-quite-right-kind-of-mom doesn't ask her children to do something that is completely unachievable.
I didn't ask my children to accomplish anything that was developmentally inappropriate. I didn't require them as first graders to read college textbooks. I won't ask them as adults to go to bed at 8:30 p.m. when they are home for a visit. I didn't let them drive the car before the law allowed. If I tried to appropriately parent according to my child's developmental level, their temperament type, and their God-created identity - how much more is God able to do the same?
I didn't ask my children to accomplish anything that was developmentally inappropriate. I didn't require them as first graders to read college textbooks. I won't ask them as adults to go to bed at 8:30 p.m. when they are home for a visit. I didn't let them drive the car before the law allowed. If I tried to appropriately parent according to my child's developmental level, their temperament type, and their God-created identity - how much more is God able to do the same?
If God says be holy, we can be holy.
We may not know what that means or how it will happen. This command may trigger our shame and send us running for cover. But if we trust God, we must resist our urge to jump to conclusions. For today, we can say this, "If God set before us a dream of holy living, then holy living is possible for me if I stay connected to the vine."
May you have a holy day.
Recommended reading: Joshua 4-6
7 comments:
I am not sure what Holy really means.For me, Holy has always kind of meant special.Holy was to be protected, respected and at times in my life completely neglected.I can trust that it is possible to live Holy.Could Holy be as simple as a gift from God? What does Holy mean to you? I am not good at using my mouth to ask for help directly,I am asking for my communities help.What is Holy?
Have a blessed day!
for me holy means having one of those moments when i am able to choose something that is totally "not me" but is "for you" without expecting anything in return...doing the next right thing even if it doesn't make sense for my own self-interest...
Webster states: Exalted or worthy of complete devotion as one perfect in goodness and righteousness.
Works for me in referring to my Lord God.
I can work on living selfless and trying to do the next right thing.I think Webster is pretty smart,and it is a wonderful definition.I do not think I can live that life.
maybe it's being in a humble position, trusting God to transform us as we still live out messy living. It's not behavior or stellar performance so much as it is allowing God's spirit to inhabit us...and listening. Isn't that what makes us holy?
I can't remember if it's the Hebrew or Greek translation of the word holy, but I do recall being taught that it means "set apart"...so I've always thought of it as being picked for a purpose.
I believe we have a choice to "set apart" ourselves and allow God to work in and through us. We place ourselves in His care. He works His Holiness in us.
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