Doing What Is Right

 I grew up surrounded by a lot of hate, anger, and judgment.  I carried those things within myself for a long time, too.  One day something just clicked and I decided I wanted no part of the negativity anymore.  Of course, all of it still surrounds me.  It's difficult to avoid.  I can't control others but I can definitely choose how I react to it and how I proceed to handle my own emotions.   It's not easy.  I feel the harder I try the more I'm attacked.  Spiritual warfare is in full force right now.  Have you ever seen a television show where someone is faced with a tough decision and have an angel on one shoulder and a devil on the other, both trying to persuade them with which decision to make?  That devil and angel are weighing on my shoulders right now.  

It might seem easy for a Christian to know the correct decisions to make, especially if we know it's one that will please God.  But what are we to do when our own parent expects something from us?  Something that we know will be harmful to our minds and how God will view us?  The Bible tells us to honor our parents, but how far do we go with that?

A more recent example is that my father bought my husband a Let's Go Brandon flag to hang under the American flag in our front yard.   As much as we are frustrated with what is going on in our country and don't take the side of this president, we find the saying inappropriate, vulgar, and immature.  Secretly funny, yes, but not something we want to display publicly.   We believe in standing up for our beliefs but I also believe in keeping the peace.  Yesterday my parents came over for Father's Day and my dad refused to come inside until we hung the flag up.  We resisted.   He eventually came in but I could tell he was disappointed in us.  My father is the kind of man not afraid to speak his mind, no matter how cruel it is.  It's how he was raised and how he has continued to be.  I'm breaking that cycle.  

Hanging a flag or political sign in my front yard won't change the country's problems.   Shouting my views to someone won't fix the country's problems, neither will writing about it on social media.  It will only bring hate and a division God never intended.  Speaking with love and kindness and shining light on a dark world won't even fix things right away but the encouragement it brings could help someone in need of it.  I also believe that we are going to see hard times and it's probably going to get worse.  The Bible tells us those things but it also assures us that in the end God wins the battle and gains the victory.   So, in the meantime I'll do my part to shine the light in the storm until that time comes.  

I'm envious of those who grew up in a home with a solid Biblical foundation.  That was not me.  I grew up being made to believe that it didn't matter what comes out of our mouths or what we view with our eyes.  That only means I have to work harder and independently to make sure I break the chains of what is accepted of the world and focus on serving God.  I'm going to be the light that shines bright in my home so my children can be raised in a home set on the solid foundation.