I’m Not Going to Tell You Again!

“Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not grievous, but for you it is safe.” ~ Philippians 3:1

“How many times do I have to tell you to …!” we mothers yell at our kids, in our aggravated mother voice. Today it was their messy room. Tomorrow it will be over fighting with their sibling… or one of a myriad of other possible choices.

We get aggravated over the littlest things. A sock left on the floor, a toy misplaced, a mess in the bathroom, a bed unmade, work not finished, an unfinished school project, … and the list goes on…

We coax. We repeat instructions, in not a very nice voice, but in our “I am so tired of telling you” voice. We yell, or even scream, because we are “so tired of repeating our instructions”.

Are you that way? I am!

I learned something from this verse that helped me and it might help you, too.

Here, Paul is telling the Chruch at Philippi that he really doesn’t mind repeating instructions to them. He doesn’t mind? WOW!!! BUT to Paul it wasn’t irksome to give instructions over and over again but necessary. For those young Christians and even the older Christians, it was necessary for their walk with the Lord! Their future management of life rested on these instructions. It was necessary for the whole church to function successfully.

What if we put this to practice in our homes? What if we viewed our repeated instructions to our children as necessary for their safety in life? Necessary for their future development? Necessary for the whole family?

What if we put this to practice in our ministries? What if we viewed our repeated instructions to young Christians as necessary for their safety in their Christian walk and life? Necessary for the church as a whole? Necessary for development? It is!

I would imagine that it would change our own attitudes and the “voice” we use in giving the instructions. It would relieve a lot of the inward pressure we feel as we repeat our instructions.  It would certainly change the “face” of our homes and churches!

We might even find ourselves carrying out the instruction found at the beginning of that verse! “Rejoice in the Lord!” Why? because we are choosing to humble ourselves to God and receive His grace. When we humble ourselves the Holy Spirit is free to work His grace in our lives and rejoicing is a result.

Where are you at today? Rejoicing? Or irked? It’s your choice…