Help Or Hindrance? No. 334

HELP OR HINDRANCE?

"Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee. But he turned and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offense unto me: for thou savorest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men" (Matthew 16:21-23).

"Oh no, dear, you're not having another baby, are you?"

"Now, dear, you have a son and a daughter. You've got your nice little family. You don't need any more children."

These are familiar statements many daughters receive from their mother, mother-in-law, or well-meaning relatives and friends. Why do many older mothers not want their daughters to have more babies? I am sure it is not because they are blatantly against life. What, then, is the reason?

I received an understanding of this while reading the above Scripture, Matthew 16:21-23 where Jesus told His disciples how he must go to Jerusalem to suffer and die. Peter loved Jesus and did not want this to happen to him. Out of his concern for Jesus, He cried out, "God forbid, Lord! This must not happen to you."

Peter only saw suffering, but did not understand the plans and purposes of God. Jesus rebuked Peter and said, "Get behind me Satan! You are a STUMBLING BLOCK to me, because you are not setting your mind on God's interests, but on man's" (New English Translation). The Jerusalem Bible says, "You are an OBSTACLE in my path, because the way you think is not God's way but man's." The New Living Translation puts it very clearly, "Get away from me, Satan! You are a DANGEROUS TRAP to me. You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God's."

When parents speak disparagingly when their daughters are pregnant, they often say these things because they love their daughters and don't want them to have extra work or sleepless nights. They speak out or concern and love, But, in doing so, they miss God's heart. They do it because they do not think God's way. They only see things from a human point of view. Therefore, they are an obstacle in God's eternal plans, and they deprive their daughters of many blessings, not only for this life, but for eternity. What a challenge.

How important it is for us to see things from God's point of view, rather than a humanistic angle. The humanistic way is a "woe" and deprives us of God's blessings (Isaiah 30:1-3 and 31:1-3). God's way leads us into His perfect will.

A mother shared with me how she had been guilty of protecting her older children from going through trials. The Holy Spirit quickened to her that she must let her children face trials otherwise she would hinder the full and perfect work God wants to accomplish in their lives.

Another mother shared with me how God revealed to her that the reason she feared to have more children was because she didn't want to bring them into this world to go through pain and suffering and endure sickness and evil. However, she realized that this reasoning is disobedient to God's plans and she was thinking man's thoughts, not God's.

The easy road is not always the right road. God's way, although sometimes more difficult always brings the greatest blessing to all concerned. God says in Isaiah 55:7-9, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways, my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts."

Many young mothers today are going astray for there is no clear voice from the older women. God's Word is very clear in Titus 2:2-4 where it exhorts the older women to teach the younger women. What are they to teach? The Bible says they are to be "teachers of GOOD things." The breakdown in the Greek of this phrase is as follows: didaskalos means "instructor or teacher" and kalos means "virtuous, beautiful in appearance, valuable."

In other words, the older women are to teach the younger women beautiful things. What are these beautiful things? The Bible tells us that "to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands" are valuable. They are beautiful to behold. No wonder the J. B. Phillips' translation says that they are "a good advertisement for the Christian faith."

Conversely, if the older women do not teach these beautiful things and the younger women do not walk in them, "it is a scandal to the gospel" (Moffat). Sadly, we see God's Word being blasphemed in the church today because women are walking opposite to God's plan for them as women.

It is the responsibility of the older Christian women to lead the younger women in obedience to God's ways. May God raise up more and more older women.

But, we can all get with it. Young mothers are training to be older mothers. When we hear of a mother having a baby, let's respond with joy. Let's be excited! Bless them. Give positive encouragement.

One day I received a phone call from a women. "How can I help you?" I asked. A pathetic voice on the other end replied, "I'm fifty, and I'm having a baby!" "Hallelujah" I exclaimed jubilantly! "You are receiving a special blessing from God. Most women are usually infertile by 45 years, but God has chosen to give you an extra special blessing." I continued to encourage her and by the time we finished talking together she was rejoicing too. All it takes is encouragement and reprogramming a person's brain from the propaganda of our humanistic society to thinking how God wants them to think!

May God help us to be on God's side, not an obstacle in His path!

Love from NANCY CAMPBELL

www.aboverubies.org

PRAYER:

"Oh God, please save me from seeing things on the surface and only from a human point of view. Please give me discernment and help me to seek truth as you see it. I don't want to be obstacle in your path. Amen."

AFFIRMATION:

I'm taking God's side, no matter what the cost.