Yesterday, I was driving to Bible study early in the morning and had the radio on. I love listening in the early morning, because my city’s Christian station plays worship songs and has a Scripture reading. There are times that I am in my car alone throughout the week, but Tuesday mornings have become my time. I’m always alone and it is a precious time between me and the Lord.
Recently, for about a month now, I have specifically been praying that my children would have deeply rooted self-control. That they would understand how to make wise choices and behave in a way that is necessary for the moment. It has been a very intense season of parenting with this prayer, because we all know, when you pray for the Lord to give you or your children a character trait…He gives you opportunities to develop the trait!
So, as I drove and prayed, it was time for the daily Scripture. Yesterday was 1 Peter 4:7-11.
7 The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers. 8 Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. 9 Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10 As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: 11 whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
It began to all make sense. Why the Lord had given me the prayer of self-control. Why He was charging me with such an intense time of opportunity. Why it was all, literally each and every moment, so very important.
Our time is short. With our children and here on earth. Regardless of when the Lord comes back, life itself is but a fleeting breath. We have no time to waste. In the Lord’s economy, each moment has eternal consequences.
He was revealing some of His big picture so that I would understand the little moments. The little prayers. The little acts of obedience. In His kindness, the Lord was reminding me why I was fighting so hard for any of it. He was showing me the reason why being self-controlled was so necessary…for the sake of our prayers in the end times! The Lord knows that our environments will become increasingly more evil and muddled with distractions trying to take our focus off of Him. He knows that talking with Him requires our focus and pursuit. Focus and pursuit that we will not possess without developing the traits necessary; we must understand what is most important.
Prayer is the avenue of communication that we have with the Lord. Being self-controlled and sober-minded is the preparation for prayer! Paul goes on to remind us that we each have a gift from the Lord because of His grace. Our gifts are varied, but we are all instructed to love earnestly and to serve in order that God may be glorified. His glory is always the main reason we do anything. But, in order to understand our gifts and to remember why we serve, we must keep in constant communication with the Lord. We must be self-controlled!
God was revealing some of His big picture so that I would understand the little moments. The little prayers. The little acts of obedience. Because each little is an important part of the BIG, for our character and His Kingdom.
When we wait quietly for the Lord, He will reveal His word to us. He will show us what He is doing in our lives. He will meet with us…even on an early morning drive.
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