When I was a young girl, I had a pony named was Brandy. The interesting thing about riding Brandy was that she could not stand to be behind another horse. This made riding her interesting, particularly when we were in the show ring. If she got a glimpse of another horse out in front of her, she would kick things into high gear, and try to take off. Part of my job as her rider was to reign her in and make her slow back down…which she despised. She couldn’t understand that if she took off at a break neck speed around the show ring, we wouldn’t win.
Guess who has a tendency to act like Brandy at times? You got it, The Frazzled Mama. Two days ago I heard about a new curriculum an acquaintance was going to be trying with her kids this year. I automatically kicked into Brandy mode…
Oh….Look here comes Super Mom(at times like these, almost every other mom is Super Mom). Wait…. what is she doing? Oh she seems to have found a new curriculum. It must be fabulous if she’s using it. I bet it would solve all of my problems…What’s that you say? My kids are doing great in their current curriculum? Well, yeah, but she…..
You know how it goes….it might look like envy or jealousy, but sometimes it’s simply the fear of failing. When it comes to homeschooling, we think if we don’t do things exactly right, our kids are going to be stupid. Now, I know my example had to do with homeschooling…this time! How many other areas of life do we look at what someone else is doing and trick ourselves into believing that if we don’t, oh let’s see, own a bigger house, drive a popular car, wear stylish clothes, have manicured nails and lawns, that we are a failure. Am I speaking to anybody here????No just me? Ok…well, I’ll continue reading ;)
It’s simply not true. God’s Word says,
Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works. Matthew 16:24-27
Yesterday I stumbled across this quote, and it really made me stop and think.
Stop what you’re doing that can be measured profitably in the eyes of men, make your life a dwelling place for God to take pleasure and be in honored in. –Jason Brown
Wow….
Our nature, that sinful one that we have, it wants us to act like my pony, Brandy. Our flesh says, “Oh look, there is someone ahead of you, more successful than you, prettier than you, more physically fit than you, and check out their house….Quickly, trot after their life!!!”
You’ll never hear it say, “Nice job denying yourself and seeking after Christ, God is honored in your life today.”
Oh that it would, life would be so much easier…
Thank you for the follow! I am now following you back.
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