Choosing Purity

As I was reading through 1 Peter , I got stuck on chapter 2 verse 9 which says "But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light". I started to think of when I became a mom for the first time. I had always thought I had good discretion but when I had my first son, I soon discovered, along with a love I had never experienced before, I had momma vision. I discovered I was sensitive to everything and appalled at what I had considered ok before my kids. From words used around the house to certain videos and cartoons. It was eye opening.

As my husband I and I talked about how we wanted to raise our kids, it was our heart to help them anyway we can to keep their way pure and to grow up with wisdom. We taught our kids  the song “Careful little eyes what you see, careful little ears what you hear” and many times they would question why they could not watch a certain show or do something they saw other kids do. We looked at this as an opportunity to talk though the reasons and about guarding their hearts and minds, knowing there would be a day coming soon where they would have to start to process all of this on their own. The older they have become we have been able to talk more about Gods perspective, and to talk through what God would say about something. To use His word as a standard. We do this because we love them and we want what is best for them.

And so, my heavenly Father also has a lesson for me. Just this last fall I felt the tug on my heart to turn off a program I had watched for years. At first I felt like “Why Lord? It’s not bad.” but then He answered my heart with, “but is it good?” Careful little eyes what you see, careful little ears what you hear.

If I look at it the way He does, He is right. It is not pure, patient, kind, and does not reflect Gods character. So I obey, and turn it off. And there’s more areas He’s touching in my life and I ask “but it isn’t  bad”. And He has continued to respond with “But is it good?” Oh the tantrum going on in my heart.

I wrestle in my heart. In a way I feel like he is preventing me from “down time” or a little mindless entertainment- “me time”, and my flesh wars against the spirit over obedience and trust.

I am being called out to respond and it’s challenging. Just as I desire wisdom and truth for my kids and how I hope they can trust me in this training, The Lord desires wisdom, purity and obedience for me. He wants me to trust Him to willingly lay down what He convicts me of and to live in His light.

“I am chosen, set aside as God’s very own. He has called me out of the darkness and into His wonderful light.” -1 Peter 2:9

One of many verses I have come across lately confirms His desire for me, It’s Romans 12:2 which says “ Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”

My challenge is to not seek my own way that seems right and good, but to trust His leading and to be sensitive to it. To have a spiritually correct  perspective about joy, contentment, and Godly pleasure. To be holy just as He is holy. To be at peace with not fitting into the world around me but to be looking for opportunities to die to my flesh and grow a little closer to Him. To be a light in my decisions in my home and in the world.

Paul never said it would be easy to stay pure, in fact he said in 1 Timothy 6:12 to: “fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life to which you were called.” It’s hard, and I know I am not alone in this challenge. We serve a God who is good, faithful and forgiving, and HE WILL give more opportunities, to obey and to trust Him even when we are struggling to do so.