by Ruth Schwenk
Are you wrestling with a difficult decision? Are you praying about a new direction at work or in life? Remember the story of Jonah. Not every opportunity that comes our way is necessarily from God. We need to pray. Search God’s Word. Receive godly counsel from friends and family. Then we can choose wisely, remembering that in life, we’ll have many opportunities that aren’t God’s calling.
Father, You alone are the one who directs my steps. You are faithful, even when I am unfaithful. Give me wisdom to keep in step with You. Show me clearly when to say no to opportunities and when to say yes. In Jesus’ name, amen.
• When have you stepped through an open door that you discovered wasn’t the right decision? In what ways did God use that season or those circumstances to grow you?
• How do you discern when something is an open door but not God’s calling?
Finding Joy in Letting Go
At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children.”
—LUKE 10:21
Every time I drop off our oldest son at work, I feel a twinge of emotion in my heart. He just turned fifteen, got his driver’s permit, and started his first job. My little boy isn’t so little anymore. He is becoming a young man.
Have you felt that feeling I’m talking about? That feeling that reminds you your kids aren’t going to be kids forever? One of the things God wants to do in us is give us joy—not just in raising our kids, but also in letting our kids go. Even Jesus found joy in letting go.
Several years ago a pastor friend asked my husband and me, “Do you know where the Bible says Jesus was full of joy?” Wasn’t He always full of joy? I wondered. While Jesus was indeed joyful, the Bible tells us of a specific time when Jesus was “full of joy.”
We read in Luke 10 that Jesus was “full of joy” after He had sent out His disciples. Having taught them and modeled ministry for them, He sent them out to do what He had raised them to do. And we’re told, He was “full of joy.”
As a mom, I’m reminded that there can be great joy in letting our kids go. We brought them into the world. We are bringing them up in the knowledge of God and His Word. But ultimately our calling is to release them into the world to live for God’s glory. I find joy when I focus on what they will gain and not what I will lose.
Father, thank You for never letting my kids go. I know that even when my kids leave my home, they will never truly be out of Your heart or hands. Give me joy in not only raising them, but in releasing them as well. In Jesus’ name, amen.
• In what ways can it be selfish for a mom to not want to let her kids go?
• How does Jesus’ example help you let go of your kids with joy?
Notes
1. R. Laird Harris, Gleans L. Archer Jr., and Bruce K. Waltke, Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (Chicago: Moody Publishers, 1980), 45–46.
2. Thomas à Kempis, The Imitation of Christ: A Timeless Classic for Contemporary Readers, trans. William C. Creasy (Notre Dame: Ave Maria Press, 2017), 70.
3. Rick Warren, The Purpose-Driven Life (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2002), 148.
4. Henri J.M. Nouwen, The Inner Voice of Love: A Journey Through Anguish to Freedom, (New York: Crown Publishing Group, 2010), 25.