“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. (Matthew 5:5, ESV)
“Ok, sweet girl, we are going for a ride,” I said to my 7 year old niece.
“I’m ready, Aunt Laura,” she replied with a big smile while sliding her Mickey Mouse sunglasses onto the top of her head.
I gasped.
“She just slid her sunglasses upon her head exactly like I’ve done a hundred times. Melissa is imitating—me.”
That was a wakeup call, a little thump of humility from the Holy Spirit. This precious one was watching my every move. Her tiny, impressionable mind was taking notes on the way I dressed, how I treated the waitress, the way I spoke to my husband, and so much more.
Terrified by the enormity of it, I prayed for wisdom. God revealed that children grasp more of what is “caught” than “taught.” It stirred me then—and now— to live a life that clings to Christ.
Today, ask God to help you see your family through a child’s eyes. What things are causing them to grow or stumble?
“But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:9-10, ESV)
My parents divorced when I was eight. It was scary. It produced a control freak. That’s why I battle with giving everything over to God—including my family. Laying loved ones at the foot of the cross requires vulnerability, a dictator’s greatest fear.
Trust doesn’t come easily when your soul has been wounded. God understands. He gently woos us into his embrace and reveals His tender, passionate heart. This transforms anxiety into trust. He never fails. He never abandons.
Those childhood scars now serve a higher calling, and my weakness is made strong in Christ.
Are you afraid of being vulnerable? Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal hidden areas where fear may be preventing you from letting go. When weakness becomes a friend, rather than a foe, the abundant life promised by Christ isn’t far behind.
“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” (James 1:2-4, ESV)
The first year after forming our step-family was definitely the hardest. There were many days that I whispered, “This is not what I signed up for, I want out!”
But I made an “I will” commitment before God, and my spouse. That meant in good times and in bad, I will remain faithful.
Determined for our marriage to survive, I tenaciously dug in my heels and asked God to help me fight off the ugly, destructive thoughts and emotions that were choking the life out of our union. God gave me the Mind of Christ which allowed me to see my husband’s children through heavenly eyes—not my own. He revealed how to let go of unrealistic expectations. And when I feel lonely, frustrated, angry, and tired of loving stepsons who may never return the feeling, Jesus teaches me how to love as He loves.
Is there someone you are struggling to love? Are you ready to give up? Ask God how to view that problem spouse, child, or family member through his lens, rather than a human perspective. It’s transforming.
Written by Laura Petherbridge
