Line by Line: What About The Kids
August 21, 2014
I want to follow up on 1 Corinthians 7:14 as I see it applying to our children. I can’t think of anything better to share than my thoughts from our book, Not Alone.
Not Alone
There is one verse in particular which gives me the greatest comfort as a mother. What is utterly fantastic about this passage is that it is written specifically for those of us who live in a spiritually mismatched home. I’m humbled and thankful to realize God knew thousands of years ago there would be marriages such as ours. What relief and freedom this truth brings to my heart. Read it with me from the Message translation:
For the rest of you who are in mixed marriages—Christian married to non-Christian—we have no explicit command from the Master. So this is what you must do. If you are a man with a wife who is not a believer but who still wants to live with you, hold on to her. If you are a woman with a husband who is not a believer but he wants to live with you, hold on to him. The unbelieving husband shares to an extent in the holiness of his wife, and the unbelieving wife is likewise touched by the holiness of her husband. Otherwise, your children would be left out; as it is, they also are included in the spiritual purposes of God. –1 Corinthians 7:12-14 MSG
I’m learning that when we, the believer, love Jesus and walk in the power and presence of the Holy Spirit, we impact our environments. And in fact, we are bringing God’s will and purposes into our lives and those of our children. The living presence of God within us becomes so powerful that Paul tells us in Corinthians that through the believing spouse, she will sanctify every other member in the home. The living presence of God is so contagious, so powerful that it creates an umbrella of safety over anyone that comes into that environment.
My friends, we as believers are uniquely positioned to release the purposes, the love and very power of God into our children. They are then included in His plans for their lives. They are sanctified—set apart as holy unto the Lord. They belong to the Lord. When we grasp this truth, praying with belief and through the Holy Spirit for our kids, we need not live in fear for their future salvation. Our love, our example, our Jesus is always enough. I believe this promise for my children’s future and eternity.
I will again state that our faith doesn’t guarantee their salvation but it sure helps me to step out of constant fear.
My friends, I’m heading out of town next week. It’s going to be a fun trip. Find me as I share my adventures on Twitter and Facebook.
I will return to write on September 5th. We still have two more verses to cover and they are fantastic. After we conclude this study, I feel God stirring my heart to write another series on finding freedom from our life-long personal sins. Good, so good. Stay tuned. Never a dull moment around here.
I love you my SUMite family.