True Identity Ministries Blog

So have you ever had one of those days...when everything that could go wrong does and nothing happens at a "convenient" time. I just had one of those. In fact it's been two weeks of "one of those days". I just got back from the ER with my son. He had been running a temperature of 104 (that's a scary number for a 1st time mom). He has had ear infections, respiratory infections, teething, plus just the regular "baby fits". Poor little guy just hasn't felt great and poor mom has been pushed to the limits. And sometimes dads; bless their hearts, just "don't get it". With all that said, I didn't get to write you sweet girls a devotion today. So I hope you don't mind if I post an article I have shared before...but it's been a few years! Enjoy and please pray for my little man...and his mamma.

I have to share a story with you that happened just the other day. I had been having a very long day with a very fussy baby, not to mention the fact that it had been about 10 weeks of no sleep due to the addition of this precious new baby to our family. My son had been crying all day long for the third day in a row. So that night I asked my husband to be the one to bathe him (it’s when he screams the loudest). Generously my husband said yes and off he went with my little Jase. A few minutes later he returns holding Jase completely naked in his arms and he blurts out, “Honey I think he got your butt!”


Now to some that may seem funny. But that’s probably because you haven’t seen a baby’s bottom lately. They are chubby and full of cute dimples. On a baby we call them dimples that‘s why they are cute, but on a grown woman we refer to it as cellulite…not so cute. As soon as my husband had finished blurting out the comment I burst into tears. My poor husband’s grin quickly turned into a panicked frown. He kept repeating “I didn’t mean it…I didn’t mean it!” I explained to him through the gasping and weeping that I already knew my butt didn’t look so good and that I wasn’t back in shape yet. Of course within minutes I was laughing at how ridiculous my response was to my husband’s innocent comment. So what does this have to do with 1 Corinthians 7:25-40. Really not too much… except I think this might be what Paul meant by if you are single you should stay single! Of course I’m only kidding and I have an amazing and wonderful husband.

This passage in 1 Corinthians 7 did remind me of the changing seasons we go through. It seems like as soon as we get into a routine of spending time with God , serving God, and living life for Him….Life changes and forces our walk with God to change too. Listen to verses 32-35 from the Message version:

“I want you to live as free of complications as possible. When you're unmarried, you're free to concentrate on simply pleasing the Master. Marriage involves you in all the nuts and bolts of domestic life and in wanting to please your spouse, leading to so many more demands on your attention. The time and energy that married people spend on caring for and nurturing each other, the unmarried can spend in becoming whole and holy instruments of God. I'm trying to be helpful and make it as easy as possible for you, not make things harder. All I want is for you to be able to develop a way of life in which you can spend plenty of time together with the Master without a lot of distractions.”

Paul knew that as our lives change so will the direction of our time and energy. I must admit to you that the amount of uninterrupted time I was able to spend with God drastically changed when I got married. And recently with my new baby boy here, it has changed even more. I have really struggled lately with feelings of discouragement and shame over not being able to study, pray, and serve as I did when I was single with no children. But those feelings aren’t from God. He is the one that gave me my wonderful husband and child, so God knew all along that my devotion time would have to look different. And the good news is he isn’t upset with me about it at all. Isn’t that a freeing thought?

Although God knows that each one of us have circumstances that make our devotion time look different from one another…he also knows that it is vital that we do have a devotion time. Jesus says about the word of God that it is more important than the bread we eat, so that means that it is important that you and I do find ways to spend time with God. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 7 that all he wanted was for you to be able to develop a way of life in which you can spend plenty of time together with the Master without a lot of distractions. That’s God’s heart for each of us regardless of what season of life we are in. It has challenged me to become more creative in finding ways to be together with Jesus by cutting out all the things that are unnecessary. I challenge you to do the same. Paul puts it this way…

“I do want to point out, friends, that time is of the essence. There is no time to waste, so don't complicate your lives unnecessarily. Keep it simple —in marriage, grief, joy, whatever. Even in ordinary things—your daily routines of shopping, and so on. Deal as sparingly as possible with the things the world thrusts on you. This world as you see it is on its way out.”

Let’s continue to encourage one another to keep life simple so that we don’t miss the precious times we could be spending with God.
 
xoxo
Justeina