A Word of Caution

I shared the following comments on Facebook this morning. The motivation to my comments was the alarming number of Christian siblings I witnessed passing a particular article ("Don't Carpe Diem") along with affirmation as truth.... and dare I say, consolation. Allow me to share my comments, and then I will wrap up this post with a few closing remarks.

Initial comments:

There is an article going around the web about parenting called "Don't Carpe Diem." I have seen it a few times this morning. I cannot NOT comment. So here are a few things that stood out to me.

When I read this article, my emotions were stirred and wanted to voice their agreement, but my spirit was NOT shouting "amen."

The way she has written her article implies we are subject and slave to Chronos time and *may* - if we are fortunate -- be blessed with a few Kairos "glimpses" along the way. My spirit grieves this perspective. The Word says He orders my days. That does not sound like I am to be swept away or frazzled.

To read her take, God has set us out on a difficult, grueling, frazzling, nail-biting, Mt. Everest climb. Again, if this is indeed her perspective, I grieve for her.

I'm not saying parenting is easy -- far from it, but the God I know "leads those with young gently," takes our burdens and carries our load, yet balances these blessings with instructions for us to sow with diligence both day and evening, and commands for our hands not to be idle. My difficulty, in a nutshell, is that she has chosen to take her perspective, I perceive to be rooted in emotion, as truth, instead of what God's Word says on the matter.

Call me crazy -- but I really do believe God has granted to me everything needed to bring order to my home and to raise respectful children who have ears to hear Him.

Another friend of mine posted a blog entry this morning -- ironically titled "Carpe Diem." He puts it this way: "... where I have thrown my hands into the sky, thrown my head back, and with a smile a mile wide on my face, said to the One I trust the most - I TRUST YOU! BRING IT ON! 'I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of. John 10:10' "

While we don't control diddly in life (except our decision to follow Christ!), those of us who do belong to Christ, belong to the One who controls everything. In that I find tremendous ease and enjoyment to this thing called life.

It's easy to give into our emotions - after all, they run on a downhill grade - but GOD calls us to step into the current and command it to go in a different direction through His power and presence.

Dear ones, we have got to become more vigilant in who we affirm. Passing on links from various websites and articles written does impact the people in our sphere of influence.

It does not surprise me that these types of articles are quickly passed around as they affirm the emotions so many feel, but that doesn't make it right. EVERYTHING must be weighed against the counsel of God.

I deeply desire people to walk in the liberty and the power of GOD. Too many are being swept away by their feelings and their emotions. For the sake of the Body, I pray before ANY article is passed along, that it be weighed against God's Word. There is enough leaven already in the Body without adding to it.

Here's a testimony from a sister who wrote today, concerning my comments on the article, that emphasizes the IMPORTANCE of responsible sharing on the web (and what happens when we pass leaven along): "When I originally read the post a few weeks ago, my initial reaction was, 'I will not speak that as truth in my life.' However, the more people I saw share it (including many friends who's opinion and counsel I seek), I began to go against my initial rejection of it and actually let myself be comforted by HER words. 'OK, so I'm not the only one who has crazy, frazzled days...' I've been so convicted lately of how much time I'm spending in other people's words, and NOT God's, and this was just another nudge from the Man himself."

Be careful what you pass along to your siblings in Christ, making sure it lines up with God's Word.

Blessings,
Deborah