Beating My Head against a Brick Wall

Close your mouth. Clean your room. Stop fighting. Use your manners. Articulate. Put your dishes in the washer. Fold your clothes. Put them away. Brush your teeth. Yes, you have to take a bath. Flush the potty. Does anyone else find themselves sounding like a broken record with your kids? I keep thinking I’m going to get a digital recorder, record all of those phrases plus a handful more and hand it to my kids. I’d tell them, If I don’t respond to you, hit play until you hear what you know I’d say. It’s exhausting! And yet, every day I get up and I say: Close your mouth. Clean your room. Stop fighting. Use your manners. Articulate. Put your dishes in the washer. Fold your clothes. Put them away. Brush your teeth. Yes, you have to take a bath. Flush the potty. It’s like banging my head against a brick wall. Surely, one of these days, a light will click in one of my little darlins’ heads, and they will start doing these things. Surely.

I’ve been studying Acts, and I know that Paul had to have felt the same way from time to time. Bless his heart, the Bible says, As was his custom, Paul would go to the synagogue to talk to the Jews, to teach the Jews, and to debate the Jews. Now he’s in prison in Jerusalem having just told the Pharisees and Sadducees about his hope being in the One who was raised from the dead, and another riot has broken out. And this ain’t his first riot either! (Normally, I’d say this isn’t his first rodeo.) The commander has to remove Paul again for fear the mob would kill him.

Do you have someone in your life that you keep telling them the truth over and over and yet they refuse to believe? Has God relieved you from telling them the truth? Has God led you to stop talking to that person about the Truth? If He hasn't, then persevere. There will be times when God leads you to back off, and when he does, sister, you need to step off! Just sayin', "If it ain't yo' baby to rock, then don't rock it."

In Acts 23:11 while Paul was in prison that night the Lord stood near Paul and said, Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome. God told Paul his work wasn’t done. Paul knew he was going to live to see Rome, and that he was going to have another opportunity to have the floor to testify. There’s comfort in that, and that can be terrifying as well. There’s comfort because he knew that no matter what happened in the days to come, Paul knew his life would be spared. He may be tortured and imprisoned, but he would still be alive. That’s the terrifying part as well. Paul’s perspective through this whole thing was found in Philippians 1:21, For me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. While he lived, he would live for Christ, but when he died, he would find gain.

So long as you have breath in your body, God has a purpose for your life. There is someone he wants you to influence. There is someone who is watching you. There is someone who needs to hear from you. Your life will impact another. It ain’t over until God says it’s over, and he told Paul, it’s not over.

Take whatever opportunity God presents you to tell others and to love on others. Don’t get discouraged. Don’t give up. Galatians 6:9, Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. I’m not giving up on God’s calling on my life to minister to women. You don’t give up on yours.