Before we answer the title question, let me ask another one. How often do you use your good dishes? If you're like Chrissy and I, not much. They look nice. We've got lots of them. They have sentimental meaning. But they aren't our everyday dishes. They're for special occasions.
In some families, when the good dishes come out, there can be some stress attached.
"What if someone breaks one?"
"What if they find their way into the dishwasher?"
"They might get chipped or dropped!"
And so naturally, they stay on the shelf most of the time.
How can the difference between good and everyday dishes help us in our spiritual lives? I heard Carey Nieuwhof talk about this (yes, I know I've talked a lot about him lately, but he's got some great, helpful stuff). Sometimes in our homes, we treat God like He's the good dishes? We rarely "bring Him out" and when we do we're afraid something will break. In a Christian family, this isn't how we should treat God. He should be more like our everyday dishes. Constantly a part of the day. Frequently "brought out". No fear of the conversation "breaking" (God can look out for Himself after all). I'm reminded of this scripture; "Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful." Joshua 1:8, NIV. I sometimes read this verse, and get thrown off by that word meditate, or the "day and night" phrase. It sounds like a lot of work sometimes. I mean, who meditates? And I'll admit, I've been around Christians that sometimes force God into the conversation and it leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I don't find unnaturally forcing God into the conversation particularly helpful. I don't want my faith to be viewed like author Rosaria Butterfield observed of Christians (before becoming one...great story by the way!), "Christians in particular were bad readers, always seizing opportunities to insert a Bible verse into a conversation with the same point as a punctuation mark: to end it rather than deepen it." God wants to deepen our life. His Word makes a difference. Let's make Him an integral part of our everyday, not just for special occasions. Let's have His Word in our hearts that it can't help but flow into our day naturally.
So, how normal is "God-Talk" in your home? Well, only you can answer that.
Resources to check out:
Parenting Beyond Your Capacity by Carey Nieuwhof
The Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert by Rosaria Butterfield
In some families, when the good dishes come out, there can be some stress attached.
"What if someone breaks one?"
"What if they find their way into the dishwasher?"
"They might get chipped or dropped!"
And so naturally, they stay on the shelf most of the time.
How can the difference between good and everyday dishes help us in our spiritual lives? I heard Carey Nieuwhof talk about this (yes, I know I've talked a lot about him lately, but he's got some great, helpful stuff). Sometimes in our homes, we treat God like He's the good dishes? We rarely "bring Him out" and when we do we're afraid something will break. In a Christian family, this isn't how we should treat God. He should be more like our everyday dishes. Constantly a part of the day. Frequently "brought out". No fear of the conversation "breaking" (God can look out for Himself after all). I'm reminded of this scripture; "Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful." Joshua 1:8, NIV. I sometimes read this verse, and get thrown off by that word meditate, or the "day and night" phrase. It sounds like a lot of work sometimes. I mean, who meditates? And I'll admit, I've been around Christians that sometimes force God into the conversation and it leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I don't find unnaturally forcing God into the conversation particularly helpful. I don't want my faith to be viewed like author Rosaria Butterfield observed of Christians (before becoming one...great story by the way!), "Christians in particular were bad readers, always seizing opportunities to insert a Bible verse into a conversation with the same point as a punctuation mark: to end it rather than deepen it." God wants to deepen our life. His Word makes a difference. Let's make Him an integral part of our everyday, not just for special occasions. Let's have His Word in our hearts that it can't help but flow into our day naturally.
So, how normal is "God-Talk" in your home? Well, only you can answer that.
Resources to check out:
Parenting Beyond Your Capacity by Carey Nieuwhof
The Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert by Rosaria Butterfield
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