For Whose Pleasure?

by Becky Wyand

1.  For His Pleasure

Throughout the year we have been discussing ways to apply “all for His pleasure” to our family life.  Our main scripture has been Rev. 4:11, “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.”

Let me remind you (and myself) that we are constantly at war with the issue of God’s pleasure.  Our natural desire is to give ourselves pleasure.  Notice the focus of your children and you will see them seeking their own pleasure.  Our training opportunity, therefore, is to constantly, patiently, and compassionately remind them that there is a better focus – God’s pleasure.  While you are training in this direction, God is drawing your children to Himself – and He has the power to draw them.

As I was reading through The Book, a Bible paraphrase, I found this in Ephesians 1:11 “Moreover, because of what Christ has done we have become gifts to God that he delights in, for as part of God’s sovereign plan we were chosen from the beginning to be his, and all things happen just as he decided long ago.”

1:18B “I want you to realize that God has been made rich because we who are Christ’s have been given to him!”

As you finalize this school year and prepare for a new one, keep your focus on giving God pleasure.  We were designed for that purpose.

2.  Reading

1)      One good exercise for summer months would be to read a great book together as a family.  Choose a few key phrases from the book and discuss their meaning, various possible meanings and the specific meaning in that book.

2)      Have a reading list for each child.  Encourage a quiet time of solitude.

3)      For all of your free readers encourage a private Bible reading time.  Make it something valuable and life changing, not punitive.

3.  Reminder for this month.  Simplify

Last school year we talked about contentment.  This is a topic we must often revisit, as its angry opposite keeps creeping back into our lives.  For this writing I want to approach contentment from the angle of simplifying.  Look at your schedule, your closets, your book wish list, your home repair and redecorating list and begin to simplify.

Pray about how God would be best honored in your life.  Then spend your minutes, muscles and money in this honorable way.

4.  Discipline

Here is another challenge to spend a month looking at a Proverb a day for a better picture of the fool.  One of the key reasons we discipline is to take the foolishness out of the heart of the child.

Training your child toward wisdom should be a primary curriculum focus.  Proverbs 1:7-9 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.  My son, hear the instruction of thy father and forsake not the law of thy mother:  For they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck.”

Proverbs 10:8 “The wise in heart will receive commandments: but a prating fool shall fall.”

10:17 “He is in the way of life that keepeth instruction: but he that refuseth reproof erreth.”

12:1 “Whoso loveth instruction loveth knowledge: but he that hateth reproof is brutish.”

26:4-5 “Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him.  Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own conceit.”

It is important to have a specific plan or strategy for training for wisdom.

5.  Checklist for end-of-year

Some possible considerations:

1)      Have I filed some examples of my child’s work? Dating the sample is helpful.

2)      Have I begun a list of goals for each child, - goals to work on during the summer and goals for the next school year?  (Goals are easy to write if you simply keep a handy list that you add to as you watch your child play, do chores, reply to adults, answer questions when reading, and all other life activities.)

3)      Am I being honest as I look at my child’s spiritual maturing?  What plan do I have for his specific encouragement?

4)      What areas of my home and school life have I chosen to simplify? How do I plan to do this?

5)      Who am I planning to contact for some good resources for next school year?  Which family reading books are we choosing?  Why?

6)      Have I solidified the discipline needs of each child?  Do I have steps to take to meet those needs?

7)      Have I evaluated each child’s chores and made plans to add appropriate chores for each child?

8)      Do I have plans for putting my house in order?

9)      Do I have plans for some outdoor fun activities?

10)  Am I keeping alert to ways my child can help others?

Have a God honoring summer!