A FAMILY CHALLENGE

Increase and growth is a normal part of our lives. To be stagnate is slow death. Although we would like to keep our babies at their cute baby stage forever, we'd certainly grieve if they didn't continually grow and develop physically and mentally. God wants us, His children, to always be growing too. Colossians 1:10 says, "That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and INCREASING IN THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD."

We are usually increasing in some way, usually in what we are interested in most. But are we daily increasing in the knowledge of God? That's a good challenge, isn't it? What about our children? We are proud to see them grow and develop, but in what way are they are increasing? Sometimes we increase more and more activities into our lives and our children's lives. We are on the go from morning to night. But at the end of the day, have we increased in any way in the knowledge of God? How much has God entered into our lives? How much of His truth and revelation?

Are our children growing in stature, and yet starved in their spirits? I look at some of my teenage grandsons and they literally grow taller over night! How wonderful if we could see our children growing taller in the ways of God so quickly, too.

This doesn't just happen. As mothers, we have to make it happen. We must be faithful to set aside time each day, morning and evening if possible, to impart God's Word to them. There is no other way to increase in the knowledge of God.

Here is a good idea for you which I found a great blessing. When you are reading God's Word, look out for Scriptures which reveal the character of God--His faithfulness, longsuffering, love, mercy, justice and judgment, vengeance, holiness, goodness, wisdom, and so on. We often stay stuck on God's love and do not understand the full character of God. Make headings of these attributes and write the appropriate Scriptures under these Attributes as you read them. You will eventually have your own personal concordance of the character of God.

You can meditate on these Scriptures personally, but you can also take an attribute of God, one by one, and read the particular Scriptures at your Family Devotions and discuss them together. There is no greater or more important subject to teach your children than the character of God.

Can I give you a challenge today? Instead of growing busier in family activities, could you seek to grow more as a family in the knowledge of God?

Love from Nancy Campbell