THE BEAUTIFUL BALANCE

In reply to my post about "Sweet Wives and Mothers" some asked how we can be sweet and at the same time discipline our children and keep order in the home. Throughout Scripture, we see the tension of truth--one understanding of truth on one hand and seemingly the opposite on the other hand. This comes from God Himself. God is a God of love and yet a God of judgment and justice. God is "angry with the wicked every day" and yet He is a God of abundant mercy. Because God is perfect, He wields these divine attributes in perfect harmony. We find it harder to do.

We see a beautiful picture of Christ in Revelation 5 where it speaks of the "Lion of the tribe of Judah." However, when John looks up he doesn't see a roaring lion, but a "Lamb, as it had been slain." Jesus Christ is both the Lion and the Lamb.

We also have these innate attributes in us as mothers. We have divinely within us the sweet, nurturing anointing that God has given to women--a beautiful picture of motherhood. However, we also have within us a roaring lion-like spirit that rises up when the enemy comes to deceive our children and steal their souls. We will not stand for it. We begin to pray. We rise up in the authority God has given us to command our children in His ways. We boldly and firmly deal with sin in their lives--lying, cheating, stealing, disobedience, rebellion, and so on. We don't do it out of frustration and anger, but in righteousness because we know we cannot allow these bad habits to control our children.

And so we walk in the beautiful balance of sweet nurturing and bold authority when it is necessary. We don't learn to do this all at once. The anointings are within us, given by God, and we learn to walk in them more and more as we yield to the Holy Spirit who is conforming us into the image of Jesus.

Think of Moses. He was "Very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth" (Numbers 12:23) and yet he was one of the greatest leaders in history. He constantly had to execute judgment on these people he was leading through the wilderness. You too can lead your children on to the Promised Land with a sweet spirit, but also bold authority.

Love from Nancy Campbell